First Repair Mentoring Team Ready For ISAF (August 17) A comprehensive exercise to verify the skills of the first D-30 canon Repair Mentoring Team was staged at the Sučany training area. In 2011 Slovakia took over the position of the leader in mentoring the 5th CSS Kandak (Combat Service Support) battalion of the 4th ANA Brigade. The ANA soldiers are also mentored by the Indiana National Guardsmen and the Australian Armed Forces troops. The first Slovak team consist predominantly of the Repair battalion members from the Martin garrison. The most experienced among them is the Deputy Team Leader Master Sergeant Tomáš Német, who shall be already on his fourth international mission. He has experiences maintaining Soviet 122 mm D-30 canon, used also by the Slovak artillery units. The only team member not from the Martin garrison is the Team Leader, First Lt. Milan Németh, a member of the Michalovce self-propelled artillery unit, who has ISAF experiences working as a Guard Unit Commander at the Kandahar base in Afghanistan. In a couple of weeks the Martin Training Battalion will initiate another mentoring team training, which will also include a joint training with the American and Australian troops in Germany.
Budget May Not Be Final (August 13) For the first me in history defense expenditures could fall below 1 % of GDP in 2013. Such are the implica ons of the first dra of the state budget submi ed by the Finance Ministry. The dra assumes that 746,3 million euro will be allocated to the defense chapter next year, represen ng 0,99 % of GDP. The budget proposal includes an alloca on of 45,5 million euro for the defense development, whereas this year the expenditures are es mated at 58,8 mil. The largest cuts are envisioned in the area of communica on and informa on systems. More funds compared to this year should in 2013 be invested in armament, procurement of military equipment and materiel. The budget dra allows for the purchases of military vehicles and upgrading military aircra . However, the MoD does not consider the financial limit sufficient, therefore it will connue in the nego a ons with the Finance Ministry.
Looking For A Strategic Partner (August 15) The Nováky Military Repair Works (VOP) has issued a call for proposals to acquire a strategic partner. The process should result in the execu on of 3 contracts: the first shall be a Lease of Tangible and Intangible Assets, the second a Tangible Assets Sales Contract, and the third an Agreement on the Cession of Rights and Du es per nent to the employee contracts. The deadline for registra on is at 3 pm on August 27, 2012. Registered par es may submit proposals by 1 pm on September 20, 2012. The public tender is open to any Slovak or foreign natural or legal en ty that meets the criteria set within the Specifica ons. As the Defense Minister Mar n Glváč said, several pares have already expressed interest in the company; it is now up to them to decide whether they are willing to accept the condi ons set by the MoD: “Currently there are three or four companies interested, but we will not nego ate with them separately, since this will truly be a transparent tender,” said Glváč. “I do not personally care who it will be in the end. However, the winner must meet all the condi ons set within the tender,” he added. Currently most of the orders for VOP come from the Defense Ministry, the funding is secured un l the end of September 2012. “We are planning for the op on, which calls for extension of the funding un l the end of December,” said Glváč. The MoD will know by the end of this month whether there will be enough orders to keep VOP afloat. The company, which Glváč calls a “solid business partner” currently operates normally. VOP also needs to se le restructuring claims totaling 880 000 euro, spread well into the year 2016. The MoD, however, has a plan B, if the tender does not produce a winner. Its core idea is to for fy the company economically using acquisi ons: “A company that does a good acquisi on job may finance itself, the way it did in 2010,” said Glváč, who stressed that the current problems with VOP are a direct result of bad judgment calls made by the former company management and the MoD´s leaders.
● The MoD´s State Secretary Miloš Koterec welcomed the Good Will delegation from the China People´s Republic, headed by Col. Gen. Changdem Wu. Both parties agreed that the bilateral cooperation between our countries is smooth, and confirmed the mutual ambition to continue the cooperation in the military-technical and political-military area. M. Koterec confirmed that the Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Peter Vojtek plans to visit China this year. Col. Gen. Changde Wu outlined the possibilities for mutual cooperation in international operations and also informed on the ongoing modernization of the Chinese Army that is, according to his words, not only in the national interest of China, but will also contribute to the world peace and stability in the future. ● The Military Mission Training Unit of the Training Battalion in Martin initiated another round of International Crisis Management Personnel Training. Members of the National Support Element key personnel selected from the members of the KAF, ISAF and Paladin Task Force Commands, along with members of the Land Forces selected for NRF 2013, completed the prescribed tasks. Training of the Kandahar Airfield Guard Unit key personnel supported by the 22nd mechanized brigade of Michalovce and the 11th mechanized brigade of Martin (veterans of the ISAF operation), focused on activities performed at the KAF base Entry control point 5. ● On Monday, August 13, the MoD´s State Secretary Miloš Koterec acknowledged in Ružomberok the accomplishments of the former Director of the Central Military Hospital, Maj. Gen. Dr. Igor Čombor, PhD., who stepped down from his office on July 30, 2012. Koterec awarded him a Commemorative plaque of the Defense Minister. The hospital will be temporarily managed by Dr. Jozef Ježík, who was appointed by the Defense Minister Martin Glváč. ● On August 10, 2012 the Commander of the Slovak Air Force, Maj. Gen. Babiak and the Commander of the Sliač air base Col. Vladimír Lisý took part in the Common Heaven international conference held in Moscow, Russia, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Force. The conference brought together air force commanders from more than 70 countries around the world. The most discussed topics were flight safety and the prevention of terrorism. A prestigious air show in Žukovskij near Moscow complemented the conference. ● In response to the invitation by the Commander of the Polish Land Forces, Maj. Gen. Ján Salaganič took part in the Czenstochowa International Military Pilgrimage and the Polish Armed Forces anniversary celebrations, from August 13 to August 15, 2012. Representatives from the Armed Forces of the United States, the Czech Republic, Germany and Lithuania met the President and the Defense Minister of the Polish Republic. The Commander of the U.S. Army Europe, Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, and Lt. Gen. Zbigniew Głowienko and the Commander of the 2nd Army Corps Maj. Gen. Jerzy Biziewski were awarded medals. ● On Monday, August 13, a summer camp, organized by the Foundation for Handicapped Persons (PONS) paid visit to the Sliač air base. Soldiers prepared an interesting program for physically and mentally handicapped children along with their assistants - including military dog training, static displays of MiG29 and L-39 aircraft and the most attractive exhibit of all: the CAS 32 T-815 fire engine, which the children could not take their eyes off. ● For the final time this year the Sliač air base also welcomed the international children camp Sojuz – Pilgrimtour. Children from Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia saw examples of military dog training and the biological protection of the airfield. The program included a static display of MiG-29 and L-39 aircraft. The interesting morning was traditionally concluded by the military firefighters show.
We Do Value Traditions (August 16) The MoD values the activities performed by the Slovak Union of Anti-Fascist Fighters (SZPB) and acknowledges the risks veterans had to undertake in the fight against fascism, said the MoD´s State Secretary at the meeting with the SZPB representatives. “We value the cooperation with the NGOs, especially with those that hold military traditions dear and maintain close ties with our Armed Forces,” said Koterec. The Secretary of the SZPB´s Central Council Roman Hradecký informed Koterec on the preparations for the festivities celebrating the 68th anniversary of the Slovak Nation Uprising (SNP) and the Carpathian-Dukla operation, which the MoD is a partner of long standing. “We strive to organize the celebrations not as regional affairs, but as national events. Our goal is to bring both the SNP and the Dukla battle back to the forefront of the public mind, to continue in the tradition we have started writing many years ago,” said Hradecký. Koterec assured the SZPB representatives that the MoD sees the cooperation with the SZPB as mutually beneficial.
Remembering Kalište (August 18) The first of many events commemorating the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) was the commemorative meeting in the Kalište municipality on Saturday. The MoD was represented by the State Secretary Miloš Koterec and the Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Jaroslav Vývlek. Also present were the Chairman of the Slovak Union of Anti-Fascist Fighters Pavol Sečkár. The next commemorative event will come next week - on Saturday, August 25, wreaths will be laid at the memorials in Leopoldov, Skýcov and on Jankov Vŕšok. Festivities will culminate on August 28 in Bratislava and on August 29 in Banská Bystrica.
New Hungarian Defense Attaché (August 16) The Chief of the general Staff Lt. Gen Peter Vojtek met Col. László Hajnik, the new Hungarian Air Defense Attaché (PO HUN) accredited in the Slovak Republic. At the meeting Vojtek stressed the importance of sharing experiences from the joint military activities in international operations. Lt. Gen. Vojtek also expressed Slovak Armed Forces´ interest in further cooperation among the militaries of the V4 group and outlined perspectives for defense cooperation between Slovakia and Hungary in the next period.
eBULLETIN MoD SR
August 13 - 19, 2012