Resistance fighters awarded (14 April) The commemorative medals were awarded to the participants of the national liberation fight in Trenčín, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising and end of WW II. Gen Juraj Krištofovič, Deputy Commander of the Land Forces, and Jaroslav Baška, Chair of the Regional Municipality of Trenčín, expressed their acknowledgement to the awarded resistance fighters for their bravery and participation in the liberation fight. Among the awarded were also the 94-year-old MSgt Štefan Šteflovič (Ret.), who operated as a commander of the 2nd company of the 3rd brigade of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps in the Battle for Dukla Pass, and Col Pavol Liška (Ret.), who, as a member of the anti-tank company, fought in the SNU battles from Tisovec through Dobrá Niva to the retreat to the mountains through Krížna. Together with the other awarded, they recollected the difficult time of war and suggested they would not hesitate to join the national liberation fight again, as required. ● The latest working trip to Afghanistan gave Command Sergeant Major CSM Vladimír Beluš, Chief NCO of the SVK Armed Forces, an opportunity to meet with the SVK NCOs deployed with the Resolute Support Mission (RSM) to conduct assigned tasks. He also met with his partners – Senior Enlisted NCOs – from other militaries. The Coalition forces were represented by CSM Bell, and the U.S. and Afghan Special Operations Forces by CSM Larry Debusk and CSM Fais Mohamad Wafa, respectively. Among the most important topics discussed were the NCO education systems, application of lessons learned from operations into practice and planning.
Visit from Turkey
(16 April) On Thursday, by virtue of the invitation of Chief of the General Staff of the SVK Armed Forces Lt Gen Milan Maxim, Turkey’s Chief of the General Staff Gen Necdet Özel made a visit to the SVK Ministry of Defence. Together with SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč, they evaluated the Slovak – Turkish relations and discussed the topical defence issues. “The relations between Slovakia and Turkey are excellent, and in recent years they have become particularly intensive. Where I see a considerable potential for further development is the field of education, military training and defence industry,” stated Martin Glváč. According to him, the Slovak Republic can offer modern training areas. The Minister informed Gen Özel of the intention to launch public procurement with respect to the purchase of radars for the SVK Armed Forces. Lt Gen Maxim introduced the Turkish delegation to the CBRN Training and Testing Centre based in Zemianske Kostoľany, CoE EOD in Trenčín and informed them of the series of exercise SLOVAK SHIELD 2015. As for Gen Özel, this has been his historically first visit of the Slovak Republic. On this occasion, he expressed his satisfaction with the strengthening of the relations between the both countries.
Presentation of radars
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(16 April) On Thursday, eight radar manufacturers from abroad took interest in terms and conditions of the international tender to be lodged with respect to the procurement of new 3D medium range radars. As part of the Open Day 3D Air Defence Radars, they introduced their products and proposed solutions to the expert group from the Department of Defence. The Ministry of Defence shall invite the international public tender in the upcoming weeks. „It was a unique opportunity for the radar manufacturers to learn about the armed forces’ requirements on new 3D radars. It is a large tender, which is why we have made every effort to ensure nobody would contest said tender in the future. Until the presentation, the manufacturers of modern radar systems and representatives of diplomatic missions in Slovakia could get accredited,” said SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč. The representatives of the Air Force informed the radar systems’ manufacturers of the basic requirements posed on new radars, with emphasis on effectiveness and transparency of the procurement, on interoperability within NATO, on compliance with the EU standards or on introduction and use of the radars in the armed forces of NATO and EU countries. The companies BATs (Belgium), Thales Raytheon System (France – the US), IAI-ELTA System (Israel), SAAB (Sweden), Lockhead Martin (the US), Raytheon International, Inc. (the US), BAE Systems (GB – the US) and INDRA (Spain) took up the opportunity to present their products. Base on the public tender, SVK Ministry of Defence intends to purchase 4 new 3D medium range radar systems which should, by 2020, gradually replace the currently used P-37 radars.
● On 16 April, the Military Unit 1102 Michalovce carried out a preventive response mission, geared towards detecting the abuse of intoxicating and psychotropic substances. The mission was conducted by members of the Police Enforcement Division Prešov and the Police Enforcement Section Michalovce working in close cooperation with the Group Prešov’s Police Investigation Section. No deficiencies were detected during the preventive response mission. ● Planning documents alignment, units deployment guidelines, host countries’ positions on provision of support to the exercise, and training grounds inspection were among the themes discussed during the final planning conference on Capable Logistician 2015, an international logistics exercise, which was held between 13 and 17 April in Budapest. The exercise is being prepared in Hungary with extensive international participation, serving as a tool for getting the Joint Logistics Support Group (JLSG) Headquarters ready to deploy with the V4 EU BG. The conference was attended by 150 service personnel from 26 NATO and PfP countries as well as by other military and non-military organizations that play a significant role in providing logistics support to deploying forces. ● On 8 - 10 April, the Reconnaissance Platoon, being subordinated to the Combat Support Company of the 21st Combined Mechanized Battalion Trebišov, undertook an intense training exercise to improve practical military swimming skills and techniques: combat swimming, jumps into unfamiliar water, swimming while bound by rope, close combat in the water, underwater swimming, swimming with a weapon, self-control improvement while moving in the water, handling crisis situations below the surface, team swimming, and rescue swimming. The culmination of the exercise was the final test, with the best results achieved by Cpl Branislav Nehéz a Cpl Radoslav Pšeničňak. ● The Lešť Training Area saw the 12th Mechanized Battalion engaging in a live-fire exercise using different types of weapons between 13 and 16 April. The key element of the exercise was firing the OT-90 combat vehicles’ turret-mounted armaments. As the live-fire exercise with the turret-mounted armaments was underway, snipers from the 12th Mech Bn were practising firing the AW-50 and Falcon sniper rifles. ● On 14 - 16 April, a detached medical workstation in Liptovský Mikuláš, operating under the Training, Education and Specialized Training Section, Specialized Medical and Veterinary Activities Division, Office of the SVK Armed Forces Surgeon General, offered a first aid course. The training was aimed at providing first aid, practical bandaging techniques and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). ● From 13 April to 24 April, members of the Training and Canine Division Vlkanová – Hronsek (TRN K9 DIV Vlkanová – Hronsek) are organizing a VIP protection course with the participation of instructors drawn from the SVK Interior Ministry’s Constitutional Members Protection and Diplomatic Missions Office, the CZ Military Police’s Protection and Escorts Section, and the SVK Military Police. The course has been unfolding simultaneously at several facilities, including the TRN K9 DIV Vlkanová – Hronsek, Combined Wing Sliač, and Training Centre Sliač. The aim of the event is to forge cooperation in the field of VIP protection and to align activities, procedures and means used in resolving crisis situations in the permanent and partially changing conditions during foot as well as mobile escorts.
eBULLETIN MoD SR
Disposal of cluster munitions
(15 April) The Slovak Republic will accede to the international Convention on Cluster Munitions. It follows from the proposal submitted on Wednesday at the negotiation of the Security Council of the Slovak Republic and the government. The proposal is yet to be endorsed by the SVK National Council. “We continue in the process that we advised last year and we meet the obligations we have declared,” stated SVK Minister of Defence Martin Glváč. As he further said, currently our armed forces’ stockpiles of cluster munitions contain approximately 800 pcs of such munitions and its disposal is rather costly.
Congratulations to Ján Husák
(14 April) On Tuesday, Chief of the General Staff of the SVK Armed Forces Lt Gen Milan Maxim, in conjunction with Maj Gen František Blanárik and Lt Gen Peter Vojtek, President and Vice-President of the SVK Generals Club, respectively, extended their congratulations to Lt Gen Ján Husák (Ret.) on the occasion of his 92nd birthday. Lt Gen Maxim awarded him with the Commemorative Medal of Chief of the General Staff of the SVK Armed Forces, 1st Grade.
V4 planning conference
(16 April) “Goals accomplished” concluded Brig Gen Ivan Hirka, Chief of Strategic Planning at the SVK Armed Forces General Staff, speaking at the end of a two-day planning conference of the V4 countries on the stand-up of a joint V4 EU BG, which took place on 15 - 16 April at the SVK Ministry of Defence in Bratislava. “The conference finalized all the contractual and technical requirements necessary to deliver practical cooperation in the final phase of the V4 EU BG’s preparations, including its certification and stand-by for deployment, if required by EU bodies,” said Lt Gen Milan Maxim, Chief of the SVK Armed Forces General Staff.
Flag for CZ-SVK legionnaires
(14 April) The SVK Ministry of Defence commemorated the engagements of the Czechoslovak legionnaires fighting in the Czechoslovak Legion in the First World War. Members of the Siberian Czechoslovak Legionnaires 2nd Mounted Cavalry Regiment Historic Club took over a replica of their historic combat flag from the hands of Lt Gen Peter Gajdoš, 1st Vice Chief of the SVK Armed Forces General Staff. The flag handover ceremony was accompanied by a mounted cavalry unit formation. Most of the club members are former professional horseback riders. According to Dušan Majerčík, head of the Historic Club, the club is dedicated to highlighting the engagements of the Czechoslovak legionnaires.
DCM-C passes certification
(13 April) From 7 through 13 April, Lt Col Alois Zdrha (CZ ARMY), Commander of the 3rd NATO Signal Battalion (3NSB), located in Bydgoszcz, Poland, carried out the certification of the Deployable Communications and Information Systems Module Ružomberok (DCM-C Ružomberok) at the former Specialized Training School in Mokraď. A total of 18 3NSB staff members from five NATO countries made up a certification team, while 35 DCM-C personnel underwent the certification process. On 10 April, the certification exercise was joined by Col Ľubomír Gorelčík, Chief of Information Security and Protection and CIS Branch at the Operations Support Staff of the SVK General Staff and national coordinator for developing and sustaining the DCM-C, respectively. The DCM-C successfully accomplished all the objectives and tasks, while demonstrating its professional approach, and excellent language proficiency and subject-matter expertise. To achieve its full operational capability (FOC), the certification process will continue with the DCM-C’s participation in NATO’s further activities well until 30 November.
April 13 - 19, 2015