State-owned KONŠTRUKTA - Defence is planning to expand its capacities and create new jobs in Moldava nad Bodvou

Whilst working under the remit of the Ministry of Defence, state-owned KONŠTRUKTA - Defence is planning to expand its repair and manufacturing capacities as part of its Maintenance & Repair Services (MRS) in Moldava nad Bodvou. Thanks to this, new skilled jobs will be created in the workshop. This positive news comes as the MOD delivers on one of its top priorities – to revive the capacities of the SVK defence industry.

There has recently been an increase in the company's employment levels. At the time when Defence Minister Naď took office, some 10-15 employees worked in the Maintenance & Repair Services in Moldava nad Bodvou. KONŠTRUKTA - Defence currently employs 60 employees in the workshop. The company now has plans to employ around 150 technicians there in the future.

The latest increase in the number of employees was announced in a press conference by Minister Naď and Director General of KONŠTRUKTA-Defence Alexander Gurský at the company's site today. This is also linked to the delivery of the Tracked Armoured Fighting Vehicle Programme for the Slovak Armed Forces, for which the SVK government is soon to award a contract.

As with the Patria 8x8 AMV^XP, one of the key conditions for winning the tracked armoured capability contract is a high level of Slovak industry content. This means future profit not only for the SVK industry, but also for individual regions through taxes, investments and higher employment levels.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “I insist that the domestic industry must capitalise on the major contracts from the Ministry of Defence. The same applies to the repair of equipment for the armed forces – today we are talking about tripling the annual volume of funding for the repair of SVK military equipment within the stateʼs capacity.”

He went on to say the MOD is looking to keep this trend going in order to secure support for the defence industry and to make savings by undertaking in-house maintenance and repair through our own capacities in Defence.

Currently, the Maintenance & Repair Services (MRS) Moldava nad Bodvou is repairing artillery systems, multiple launch rocket systems (MLRSs), wheeled and tracked infantry platforms for the Slovak Armed Forces, and, as Minister Naď confirmed, Ukrainian military equipment.

Still today, the minister and the company's leadership introduced a new medical evacuation vehicle prototype – a military ambulance built on the MERCEDES UNIMOG chassis, which will most probably be manufactured and serviced in this workshop as well.

Alongside this, the company is getting ready for the manufacture, partial assembly and servicing of the Patria 8x8 AMV^XP.