New training range at Lešť

Over the past 4 years, Training Centre Lešť has turned into a state-of-the-art training facility not only for domestic armed forces, security and rescue components, but it has also been in high demand by our foreign partners. Under its modernization scheme, a number of training ranges, simulation technologies and accommodation facilities have so far been built, upgraded or reconstructed. While on training, soldiers, policemen, fire-fighters and rescuers can now access a most advanced shooting range known as the Infantry Shooting Range Berm, a Demolition and Mine-Laying Training Range, a Mobile Workstation for Research into Prevention and People and Property Rescue, and a modernized “Terčot” Target Set Control and Monitoring System, as well as making the best of extended software applications of the available simulation technologies. Yet, the latest addition to TC Lešť is the Oremland Tactical Range.

“This marks Phase I of a new cutting-edge range, designed for military operations in urban terrain, whereas its use in the future will be extended to cover training with infantry fighting vehicles,” said SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč. He went on to remind that the modernization of TC Lešť has remained one of the priorities of the current SVK government.

The 2nd Vice-Chief of the General Staff of the SVK Armed Forces, Maj Gen Pavel Macko, explained that the SVK Armed Forces need comprehensive training, one that corresponds to the current security developments: “I can see that urban warfare is not a short-term trend. This facility is unique insofar as it is to deliver training of armed forces for relevant tasks alongside other subject matter specialists, whether they are from reconnaissance or intelligence branches.” He believes that a further development of TC Lešť will enable armed forces to comprehensively train alongside their domestic partners for domestic crisis management operations, as well as with their foreign ones to prepare for operations abroad.

On Monday, 29 February, the head of the MOD introduced a modernization intent to upgrade Accommodation Camp Slávia, which should be handed over for use in the course of next year. “To be constructed are new accommodation facilities for 740 persons, classrooms, research and development facilities, as well as an information security office,” he explained, adding that the current accommodation facilities of TC Lešť are inadequate in terms of capacity, and often in terms of quality as well. “Thanks to the new accommodation capacity, also the use of the six new simulation trainers we have built there will be more efficient,” said the Minister.

The director of Training Centre Lešť, Mr Ján Rausa, added that the requirements of our foreign partners for the year 2016 surpass the training capacity of TC Lešť threefold. In view of the counter-terrorism measures package adopted by the SVK government, the training requirements of policemen, fire-fighters and rescuers have increased considerably.