Statement of the SVK MOD on the NATO Defence Planning Capability Review 2017-2018
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- Date: 10.08.2018
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As per legislation, the SVK Government is responsible for delivering defence planning, i.e. the defence of the Slovak Republic. This is fully in line with Article 3 of the Washington Treaty, whereby individual NATO Member States are obliged to “maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack”. Therefore, the current MOD leadership approaches modernization systemically and systematically, whilst being aligned to the SVK Government- and Security Council-approved 2030 Long-Term Defence Development Plan, to make the Armed Forces fully ready for delivering the defence of the Slovak Republic.
It should be reminded that the criticism that comes from NATO is no novelty, because it is widely known that defence has been neglected and financially overstretched for long years. The outcome of the previous non-conceptuality of modernization is that the commitment of a medium mechanised brigade has been shifting ever since 2004, with the SVK Air Force being the only area receiving more, or less, investment. But to be objective, compared to the previous NATO Defence Planning Capability Reviews, NATO gives a more positive assessment of Slovakiaʼs defence planning in the latest bi-annual Review. We reported on this after the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers earlier this June.
In the NATO Defence Planning Capability Review 2017-2018, defence planners highlighted our ambition to spend 1.6 per cent of GDP on defence by 2020 and 2 per cent of GDP by 2024 and Slovakiaʼs flexibility as the Review was being processed. At the time of writing the Review the SVK Governmentʼs decision on the procurement of supersonics, pricing and operating costs were not known yet. Today it is clear that the stand-up of the heavy mechanised brigade will not be negatively influenced by this acquisition. Needless to realise, the Army needs effective close air support in conducting its operations.
As regards the document itself, it is marked NATO UNCLASSIFIED. According to the rules of the National Security Authority and NATO, this means using information only for official purposes and making it available only to authorised citizens and not to members of the wide public. It should be noted that the bi-annual Review consists of three parts – Overview, Staff Analysis and Tables, whereas Staff Analysis and Tables are marked NATO RESTRICTED or higher by NATO, and this is equally true of all Member States. Based on our request, Part I (Overview) is now available to all those whom it may concern in compliance with the rules of the National Security Authority and NATO.
We have no interest in holding back information. On the contrary, we believe the wide public should see reality as it is so that we can reach society-wide consensus on the modernization of the Armed Forces. Also for this reason, we want to push ahead with the partial declassification of the next Comprehensive Defence Review of the Slovak Republic, which is endorsed by the Government and the Security Council. Equally important, we would like to introduce the current NATO Defence Planning Capability Review 2017-2018 to MPs on the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security, members of the Cabinet, and members of the Security Council, i.e. to all qualified entities. We would like to reiterate we have nothing to hide. The MOD will make no comments on the authenticity of the document released by Mr Dubéci. Unlike this unsuccessful political candidate, we respect the guidelines of the National Security Authority and NATO.
It should be reminded that the criticism that comes from NATO is no novelty, because it is widely known that defence has been neglected and financially overstretched for long years. The outcome of the previous non-conceptuality of modernization is that the commitment of a medium mechanised brigade has been shifting ever since 2004, with the SVK Air Force being the only area receiving more, or less, investment. But to be objective, compared to the previous NATO Defence Planning Capability Reviews, NATO gives a more positive assessment of Slovakiaʼs defence planning in the latest bi-annual Review. We reported on this after the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers earlier this June.
In the NATO Defence Planning Capability Review 2017-2018, defence planners highlighted our ambition to spend 1.6 per cent of GDP on defence by 2020 and 2 per cent of GDP by 2024 and Slovakiaʼs flexibility as the Review was being processed. At the time of writing the Review the SVK Governmentʼs decision on the procurement of supersonics, pricing and operating costs were not known yet. Today it is clear that the stand-up of the heavy mechanised brigade will not be negatively influenced by this acquisition. Needless to realise, the Army needs effective close air support in conducting its operations.
As regards the document itself, it is marked NATO UNCLASSIFIED. According to the rules of the National Security Authority and NATO, this means using information only for official purposes and making it available only to authorised citizens and not to members of the wide public. It should be noted that the bi-annual Review consists of three parts – Overview, Staff Analysis and Tables, whereas Staff Analysis and Tables are marked NATO RESTRICTED or higher by NATO, and this is equally true of all Member States. Based on our request, Part I (Overview) is now available to all those whom it may concern in compliance with the rules of the National Security Authority and NATO.
We have no interest in holding back information. On the contrary, we believe the wide public should see reality as it is so that we can reach society-wide consensus on the modernization of the Armed Forces. Also for this reason, we want to push ahead with the partial declassification of the next Comprehensive Defence Review of the Slovak Republic, which is endorsed by the Government and the Security Council. Equally important, we would like to introduce the current NATO Defence Planning Capability Review 2017-2018 to MPs on the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security, members of the Cabinet, and members of the Security Council, i.e. to all qualified entities. We would like to reiterate we have nothing to hide. The MOD will make no comments on the authenticity of the document released by Mr Dubéci. Unlike this unsuccessful political candidate, we respect the guidelines of the National Security Authority and NATO.
