Defence Minister Naď assesses the past year in Defence: An uneasy period with uneasy conditions, yet still with excellent results
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- Date: 29.03.2022
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In their assessment, Ministry of Defence leaders have described the past year in Defence as a success, as they have taken on the breadth of commitments vis-à-vis the security of the Slovak Republic, servicemen and women, and Allies. In the coming period, the MOD plans on reinforcing Slovakia's defence capability, to include weaning itself off dependence on Russia's military equipment.
Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Over their first two years in office, the Slovak Government have managed fundamental crises. We took office at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and we have been grappling with it ever since. Also, there was a period when we assisted with the evacuation from Afghanistan, even militarily. Currently, we remain intensely focused on taking steps to protect the security of the Slovak Republic in the face of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. My sincere thanks go out to all those across Defence. It’s been an uneasy period with uneasy conditions, yet still with excellent results.” In this respect, he went on to express appreciation for interdepartmental cooperation.
The SVK MOD's international cooperation has been intense as never before. The relationships thus forged have a supra-departmental reach with economic and other benefits. At the same time, Slovakia has been an active ally in delivering on its commitments. “When I took over as the Minister of Defence, Slovakia’s planned defence budget for 2020 stood at 1.63% of GDP. Yet, we reached the target of 2% of GDP on defence in 2020. Similarly, the defence budget was increased markedly in 2021,” said Minister Naď, noting that the MOD also envisages an increase in this year's defence spending due to the current security situation.
In 2021, the Ministry of Defence spent 32.6% of its budget on modernising the SVK Armed Forces' arsenal with the latest weaponry, which equates to €564m, whereas over 100 modernisation programmes have been underway, including the SVK Army's leading modernisation projects such as the Tracked and Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles Programmes. "We have been fielding modern technologies and cutting off dependence on Russia. The two tougher nuts to crack ahead of us are the MiG-29s and the S-300s," the minister said. Of important mention is that last year more funding – up by 170% went towards maintenance and repairs, which is appreciated by soldiers. In addition to this, the projects to reduce costs, including through increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and introducing green solutions, were implemented.
Compared to the past, the availability of military clothing items for active duty soldiers has improved significantly. For the past two years in a row, the MOD has spent more than €17.5m on military clothing. In this regard, Minister Naď has announced the MOD is launching a project to supply new military uniforms. Historically, most funds have gone towards military research and development (R&D), while considerable funding has also been used to promote military history and cultivate military traditions.
In his summary of the SVK military's efforts over the past year, Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko highlighted the formulation of the Military Strategy of the Slovak Republic, reflecting on key staff rehearsals and a realistic assessment of the security developments. Building on the SVK Military Strategy, other strategic documents of the Slovak Armed Forces are to follow.
Furthermore, the Slovak Armed Forces have been reorganised in line with the latest documents. “Last year, Joint Operations Command (JOC) reached an absolutely essential milestone with the declaration of Initial Operational Capability (IOC), which allows it to be fully engaged today in planning and conducting all the core operations of the Slovak Armed Forces, including issuing the Orders of Battle (ORBAT) for the defence of the Slovak Republic,” Gen Zmeko said.
Alongside this, Gen Zmeko underscored the development of the Special Operations Forces (SOF), the stand-up of the Special Operations Forces Training Base, the augmentation of information operations capabilities, the establishment of the Engineers Regiment and the preparation for the stand-up of the Artillery Regiment.
On the role of the Slovak Armed Forces in response to the current security situation, CHOD Gen Zmeko said: “The fact that the Slovak Armed Forces were brought to full combat readiness two days before Russia’s aggression against Ukraine speaks volumes for the predictions of our Military Intelligence. In recent weeks, approx. 700 military personnel have been deployed to the state border and hundreds of personnel have been assigned to perform assistance tasks. First and foremost, our core task is to secure the so-called green border to eliminate any threats, but we have not avoided delivering humanitarian tasks such as supporting the arrivals at the border crossings, setting up a camp for refugees, and transporting materiel for Ukraine.”
The stability of SVK Armed Forces personnel has been a vital success. Compared to the number of Service leavers, the number of young soldiers joining the Armed Forces has almost doubled, and so the total strength of the Slovak Armed Forces has risen. The current personnel fill rate is at the level of 77%, while the fill rate target of more than 80% is set to be achieved over the next two years.
During today's press conference, the defence minister highlighted that another important fact had emerged, namely that all MOD-owned defence companies made a profit in 2021, citing the performance of LOTN JSC, which shifted from a loss of €7m to a profit of €76,000. Similarly, Military Forests and Estates SOE recorded a profit as well, and so did Horezza JSC.
In addition, the MOD has increased the operational budget of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Museum by 50%. The head of the MOD also praised the work of the Central Military Hospital - Faculty Hospital Ružomberok, which has received some of the best ratings nationally for patient satisfaction and is among the best medical facilities in Slovakia, as is the DUKLA Military Sports Centre among the sports establishments. Also thanks to the MOD's support and the highest budget ever in its history, the DUKLA Military Sports Centre has won 57 medals at top international sporting events.
A PowerPoint presentation on the past year in Defence is available in the PDF format here.
Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Over their first two years in office, the Slovak Government have managed fundamental crises. We took office at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and we have been grappling with it ever since. Also, there was a period when we assisted with the evacuation from Afghanistan, even militarily. Currently, we remain intensely focused on taking steps to protect the security of the Slovak Republic in the face of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. My sincere thanks go out to all those across Defence. It’s been an uneasy period with uneasy conditions, yet still with excellent results.” In this respect, he went on to express appreciation for interdepartmental cooperation.
The SVK MOD's international cooperation has been intense as never before. The relationships thus forged have a supra-departmental reach with economic and other benefits. At the same time, Slovakia has been an active ally in delivering on its commitments. “When I took over as the Minister of Defence, Slovakia’s planned defence budget for 2020 stood at 1.63% of GDP. Yet, we reached the target of 2% of GDP on defence in 2020. Similarly, the defence budget was increased markedly in 2021,” said Minister Naď, noting that the MOD also envisages an increase in this year's defence spending due to the current security situation.
In 2021, the Ministry of Defence spent 32.6% of its budget on modernising the SVK Armed Forces' arsenal with the latest weaponry, which equates to €564m, whereas over 100 modernisation programmes have been underway, including the SVK Army's leading modernisation projects such as the Tracked and Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles Programmes. "We have been fielding modern technologies and cutting off dependence on Russia. The two tougher nuts to crack ahead of us are the MiG-29s and the S-300s," the minister said. Of important mention is that last year more funding – up by 170% went towards maintenance and repairs, which is appreciated by soldiers. In addition to this, the projects to reduce costs, including through increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and introducing green solutions, were implemented.
Compared to the past, the availability of military clothing items for active duty soldiers has improved significantly. For the past two years in a row, the MOD has spent more than €17.5m on military clothing. In this regard, Minister Naď has announced the MOD is launching a project to supply new military uniforms. Historically, most funds have gone towards military research and development (R&D), while considerable funding has also been used to promote military history and cultivate military traditions.
In his summary of the SVK military's efforts over the past year, Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko highlighted the formulation of the Military Strategy of the Slovak Republic, reflecting on key staff rehearsals and a realistic assessment of the security developments. Building on the SVK Military Strategy, other strategic documents of the Slovak Armed Forces are to follow.
Furthermore, the Slovak Armed Forces have been reorganised in line with the latest documents. “Last year, Joint Operations Command (JOC) reached an absolutely essential milestone with the declaration of Initial Operational Capability (IOC), which allows it to be fully engaged today in planning and conducting all the core operations of the Slovak Armed Forces, including issuing the Orders of Battle (ORBAT) for the defence of the Slovak Republic,” Gen Zmeko said.
Alongside this, Gen Zmeko underscored the development of the Special Operations Forces (SOF), the stand-up of the Special Operations Forces Training Base, the augmentation of information operations capabilities, the establishment of the Engineers Regiment and the preparation for the stand-up of the Artillery Regiment.
On the role of the Slovak Armed Forces in response to the current security situation, CHOD Gen Zmeko said: “The fact that the Slovak Armed Forces were brought to full combat readiness two days before Russia’s aggression against Ukraine speaks volumes for the predictions of our Military Intelligence. In recent weeks, approx. 700 military personnel have been deployed to the state border and hundreds of personnel have been assigned to perform assistance tasks. First and foremost, our core task is to secure the so-called green border to eliminate any threats, but we have not avoided delivering humanitarian tasks such as supporting the arrivals at the border crossings, setting up a camp for refugees, and transporting materiel for Ukraine.”
The stability of SVK Armed Forces personnel has been a vital success. Compared to the number of Service leavers, the number of young soldiers joining the Armed Forces has almost doubled, and so the total strength of the Slovak Armed Forces has risen. The current personnel fill rate is at the level of 77%, while the fill rate target of more than 80% is set to be achieved over the next two years.
During today's press conference, the defence minister highlighted that another important fact had emerged, namely that all MOD-owned defence companies made a profit in 2021, citing the performance of LOTN JSC, which shifted from a loss of €7m to a profit of €76,000. Similarly, Military Forests and Estates SOE recorded a profit as well, and so did Horezza JSC.
In addition, the MOD has increased the operational budget of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Museum by 50%. The head of the MOD also praised the work of the Central Military Hospital - Faculty Hospital Ružomberok, which has received some of the best ratings nationally for patient satisfaction and is among the best medical facilities in Slovakia, as is the DUKLA Military Sports Centre among the sports establishments. Also thanks to the MOD's support and the highest budget ever in its history, the DUKLA Military Sports Centre has won 57 medals at top international sporting events.
A PowerPoint presentation on the past year in Defence is available in the PDF format here.
