Preparations underway for EX SLOVAK SHIELD 2015
(27 March) The main planning conference on the preparation and implementation of a series of SVK Armed Forces training exercises, dubbed SLOVAK SHIELD 2015, took place at the SVK Armed Forces General Staff on 18-19 March 2015, with the participation of representatives from all SVK Armed Forces Services and Branches. The main focus of the conference was on producing a final version of exercise tasks – a military training scenario for Phase 2 of the exercise series, entitled GREEN WAVE, to be conducted at the strategic level, and a military training scenario for Phase 4 of the exercise series, entitled SLOVAK SHIELD 2015, to be conducted at the tactical level. During the planning conference, Col Ivan Pach, Chief of Combat Training Branch, briefed on the plan and structure of Phase 2 and 4 exercises, the exercise-related documentation production, and the division of tasks within the main planning group. The final phase of the exercise series, slated for the end of September and the beginning of October, will culminate in a joint NATO operation, designed as a multinational battalion group-sized exercise at the Lešť Training Area. Between 23 and 27 March, the Simulation Technologies Branch, based at the Lešť Training Centre, hosted a comprehensive staff rehearsal of Exercise SLOVAK SHIELD 2015, aided by CAX computer simulations with a common theme – 21st Mechanized Battalion Group operating under Mechanized Brigade in a peace enforcement operation outside the Slovak Republic. The primary exercising troops featured the 21st Combined Mechanized Battalion, replenished by a component of the 2nd Mechanized Brigade and SVK Armed Forces. Based on the results of the rehearsal, standard operating procedures will be updated and measures to eradicate deficiencies in planning and control will be duly addressed.
● On Thursday, 26 March, the Members of the Land Forces underwent refresher and development training aimed at raising their combat skills. 75 soldiers trained at the garrison training area in Tomášikovo. The focus of training was on firing from a stationary position at fleeting and moving targets, on introduction into the mine safety and on map reading. Equally, the soldiers’ knowledge in the field of medical preparation and close combat skills were put to the test. ● On 25 - 26 March, the practical preparation of the crime scene technicians serving at the Investigation Division of Military Police took place on the premises of the Training and cynology division Vlkanová – Hronsek. They practiced search and detection, visualization, securing and documentation of the latent crime scene evidence and tactical procedure to be followed during the crime scene investigation and examination, with a focus on a photographic documentation of the exposed and secured latent evidence and on drawing a layout of the crime scene.
11 years with NATO
(29 March) The Slovak Republic is commemorating the 11th anniversary of its membership in the North Atlantic Alliance. Our security was reinforced by Slovakia’s entry into this elite community, and today our country is enjoying its highest security guarantees. “Security generates the best preconditions for fostering investment and greater prosperity of the entire society,” emphasized SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč. He went on to remind that our entry into NATO was instrumental in overhauling the nature of the SVK Armed Forces. “Today we have fully professional Armed Forces that are firmly established among the armed components of our country. Our troops regularly deliver assistance to Slovak citizens as part of domestic crisis management operations and their engagement under the international community is of equal significance,” said the head of the SVK MOD. Through their active role in international crisis management operations, our soldiers gain the necessary areas of expertise towards improving the Armed Forces as a whole. “Thousands of Slovak servicemen and women have so far rotated on operations abroad and our foreign partners give high rating to their work,” summarized the Minister of Defence. Even in the words of Chief of the SVK Armed Forces General Staff Lt Gen Milan Maxim, today our Armed Forces are a respected contributor to the Allies’ collective efforts in international crisis management operations. “However, this is not to say that the Slovak Republic no longer needs to allocate funds on defence. The current security developments in the vicinity of our borders increasingly convince us that defence spending is an inevitable condition for our national and regional stability and prosperity,” he stressed. The Slovak Republic joined the North Atlantic Alliance on 29 March 2004, along with Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia.
● Specialized tactical training of the Immediate Reserve (IR) Althea unit was held on the premises of the garrison training area Sučany on 18 – 19 March, whereby its preparation, which had taken several months, was completed. At the same time, the unit’s capabilities were put to the final test prior to being declared as a reserve of deployable forces to the Althea operation and held in a state of readiness. The unit, formed of the members of the 11th mechanized battalion, will perform the international crisis management tasks and will be held in the state of readiness by the end of 2015 as a deployable force ready to be quickly deployed to the Althea operation.
Tobruq Legacy 2015
On 16 – 18 March, the main planning conference on the exercise TOBRUQ LEGACY 2015 was held on the premises of the 25th Antiaircraft missile regiment of the CZ Army in Strakonice, with the members of the SVK Armed Forces, the Army of the Czech Republic, USAREUR (US Army Europe), the HU Armed Forces and the LT Armed Forces taking part in the event. The exercise, to include combat firing, will focus on interoperability of MANPADS units of the ground based air defence, on the joint operational procedure with respect to the formation of the international air defence task group. The firing will be part of the tactical exercise, with a unique configuration of assets. The Slovak unit will be firing from 9K38 IGLA shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile system, the Czech and Lithuanian units will be using the anti-aircraft missiles RBS-70 and the Hungarian unit will be firing from the air defence missile system MISTRAL. The units will operate within the task group under the lead of the international command, based on the Czech system ADCP and the USAREUR system FAAD C2.
● On 17 – 19 March, the members of the Cynology Section took part in training aimed at increasing the service dogs’ handlers’ skills, which they underwent in the ranch Nový dvor in the vicinity of Nitra. During the three days of intensive training, the dog handlers from the Police Corps of the Slovak Republic, Military Police, Financial Directorate of the Slovak Republic, the Municipal Police Prievidza exchanged their experience, broadened their knowledge and sharpened their skills in the field of handling the service dogs. ● On their return from the specialized training on 24 March, the members of the Police Enforcement Division Prešov, Police Enforcement Section Lešť, helped at the serious traffic accident that occurred at the busy 56 primary road junction in Zvolen. They called the rescue service and by the time it arrived they helped to extricate the injured persons and provided them first aid, secured the scene of the accident and regulated the traffic. ● The dog handlers from the PED Prešov represented, in a highly responsible manner, Military Police and service cynology of the defence department at the Police Corps Championship of the Region of Banská Bystrica in the field of handling the service dogs and special purpose dogs. The Championship was held in Krpáčovo, from 16 to 20 March. Sgt 1st Class Peter Macko (the team leader), SSgt Miloš Šoltís with his dog Jony (search for and detection of explosives) and SSgt Ján Kormoš with his dog Čičo (search for and detection of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances) finished in first place.
(26 March) On the premises of the Armed Forces Academy of Gen. M. R. Štefánik, based in Liptovský Mikuláš, the meeting of the military medical service experts was held under the auspices of the Surgeon General of the SVK Armed Forces. The focus of the meeting was on the specialized medical issues to include themes like personnel, materiel, technology, legislation, supplemented by the specialized medical presentations aimed at contagious diseases, urgent medical care, traumatology and veterinary activities. The meeting was graced with the presence of the Director of the Military Medical Agency of the Army of the Czech Republic Col Zoltán Bubeník. A part of the meeting was the working session of the Surgeon General of the SVK Armed Forces Col Vladimír Lengvarský with the representatives of the individual components of the military medical service of the defence department. The Surgeon General also handed over the commemorative badges of the military medical service and letters of appreciation.
The readiness of our troops receives high rating not only on professional grounds
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(26 March) On Thursday, Chief of the SVK Armed Forces General Staff Lt Gen Milan Maxim returned from a three-day trip abroad. As part of his fact-finding mission in Afghanistan, he paid a visit to the NATO Resolute Support Mission (RSM) units directly in the area of their deployment. The SVK CHOD’s rich schedule was supplemented by meetings with Coalition Forces and Afghan National Security Forces officials. “I was pleasantly surprised to find out that officials give high rating to our troops’ readiness to conduct missions not only on professional grounds, but also on personality grounds,” noted Lt Gen Maxim. He also visited the Resolute Support Mission Headquarters (RSM HQ), where he held talks with Lt Gen Carsten Jacobson, RSM Deputy Commander, as well as meeting with Maj Gen Sayed Abdul Karim, Commander of Afghan National Army Special Operations Command (ANASOC).
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Today a total of 40 SVK military personnel have been deployed on operations in Afghanistan. Their core is built around the 5th Special Forces Regiment members – Special Operations Forces (SOFs) trained to conduct unconventional missions. “In line with the existing mandate, the SVK contingent will be reinforced in the future by another 16 non-SOF personnel. Their military occupational specialties (MOS) will be within the Signal Corps Branch. We should continue in this format well until 2016,” added Lt Gen Maxim. “Our primary mission in the RSM is to assist in developing the Afghan National Security Forces. While doing so, we are making the best of our previous expertise,” said Lt Col Pavel Švelka, Commander of the Slovak Contingent (COM SLOVCON). In terms of security measures, the SVK CHOD’s visit to Afghanistan was supported by a team of the 5th Special Forces Regiment members temporarily operating in the country.
March 23 - 29, 2015