Slovak Armed Forces Explained

Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic
Native Name:	Ozbrojené sily Slovenskej Republiky
Motto:	"Česť a sláva" (Honour and Glory)
Founded:	1 January 1993
Headquarters:	Bratislava, Slovakia
Website:	Official website
Commander-In-Chief:	Peter Pellegrini
Commander-In-Chief Title:	Commander-in-chief
Minister:	Robert Kaliňák
Minister Title:	Minister of defense
Commander:	General Daniel Zmeko
Commander Title:	Chief of the General Staff
Conscription:	Abolished in 2006
Active:	19,500^[1]
Amount:	€2,63 billion ($2.83 billion) (2024)^[2]
Percent Gdp:	2.0% (2024)^[3]
Foreign Suppliers:	^[4]
Ranks:	Military ranks of Slovakia

The Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic were divided from the Czechoslovak Army after dissolution of Czechoslovakia on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined NATO on 29 March 2004.^[5] From 2006 the army transformed into a fully professional organization and compulsory military service was abolished.^{[6] [7] [8]} Slovak armed forces numbered 19,500 uniformed personnel and 4,208 civilians in 2022.^[1]

Organization

Joint Operational Command

Joint Operational Command in Banská Bystrica^[9] (Commander: 2 Star General)

Ground forces

See main article: Ground Forces of the Slovak Republic.

• 1st Mechanized Brigade^[10]
• 2nd Mechanized Brigade^[11]
• 5th Artillery Regiment^[12]
• 91st Engineer Regiment^[13]
• 65th Reconnaissance Battalion^[14]
• 71st Command Support Battalion^[15]
• 103rd Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence Battalion^[16]

Air force

See main article: Slovak Air Force. The Slovak Air Force, officially the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, has been defending Slovak airspace since independence in 1993. The Slovak Air Force currently comprises one wing of fighters, one wing of utility helicopters, one wing of transport aircraft, and one SAM brigade. It operates around 20 combat aircraft, as well as 10 helicopters from 3 air bases: Malacky/Kuchyňa Air Base, Sliač Air Base, Prešov Air Base. The Air Force is currently part of the NATO Integrated Air and Missiles Defense System – NATINADS.

Special Operations Forces

• 5th Special Forces Regiment^{[17] [18]}
• 51st Training Base in Žilina^[19]
• 52nd Airborne Battalion in Trebišov^[20]
• 57th Separate Section in Martin^[21]

Joint Support Brigade

• 3rd Command Support Company, in Trenčín
• 4th Logistic Regiment, in Trenčín^[22]
  • 41st Supply Base, in Nemšová^[23]
  • 42nd Supply Base, in Martin, Slovakia^[24]
  • 43rd Supply Base, in Zemianske Kostoľany^[25]
  • 53rd Field Services Battalion, in Hlohovec^[26]
  • 405th Maintenance Battalion, in Martin^[27]
• 6th Signal Regiment, in Trenčín^[28]
  • 61st Signal Battalion, in Trenčín^[29]
  • 62nd Signal Battalion, in Ružomberok^[30]
• Topographic Institute, in Banská Bystrica^[31]
• 701st Military Transport Center, in Bratislava
• Training and Mobilization Replenishment Base, in Martin

Military Medical Command

Military Medical Command in Ružomberok^[32]

• HQ^[33]
• Department of Management and Medical Analysis^[34]
• Department of Planning and Training^[35]
• Department of Logistic^[36]
• Department of Military Healthcare Development^[37]
• Department of Veterinary Support^[38]
• Department of Field Medical Units^[39]
  • Field Mobil Medical Unit ROLE 2E^[39]
  • Field Mobil Medical Unit ROLE 2B^[40]
• Logistic Battalion of Military Medical Command^[41]
  • HQ
  • Material Support Company
  • Technical Support Company

Ranks

See main article: articles and Military ranks of Slovakia.

Equipment

List of equipment of the Slovak Army

Missions

As of 2021, Slovakia has 169 military personnel deployed in Cyprus for UNFICYP United Nations led peace support operations^{[42] [43]} and 41 troops deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina for EUFOR Althea.^[44]

The country has been an active participant in US- and NATO-led military actions and involved in many United Nations peacekeeping military missions: UNPROFOR in the Yugoslavia (1992–1995), UNOMUR in Uganda and Rwanda (1993-1994), UNAMIR in Rwanda (1993-1996), UNTAES in Croatia (1996-1998), UNOMIL in Liberia (1993-1997), MONUA in Angola (1997-1999), SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1999-2003), OSCE mission in Moldova (1998-2002), OSCE mission in Albania (1999), KFOR in Kosovo (1999-2002), UNGCI in Iraq (2000-2003), UNMEE in Ethiopia and Eritrea (2000-2004), UNMISET in East Timor (2001), EUFOR Concordia in Macedonia (2003), UNAMSIL in Sierra Leone (1999-2005), EU supporting action to African Union in Darfur (2006), Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (2002-2005), Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq (2003-2007) and UNDOF at the borders of Israel and Syria (1998-2008).^[45]

Since the independence of Slovakia in 1993, there have been 60 uniformed personnel deaths in the line of service to the United Nations and NATO (as of 30 April 2018).^{[46] [47] [48]}

External links

• V armáde SR bude pôsobiť viac vojakov, bude mať aj viac húfnic či BVP
• Official homepage of the Ministry of Defence
• Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic

Notes and References

1. Web site: Vláda predstavila nový plán: Toto sa udeje s bezpečnostnými silami!. 7 January 2021.
2. Web site: Obranné výdavky by mali v roku 2024 dosiahnuť 2,63 miliardy eur. teraz.sk . 6 May 2024.
3. Web site: Slovakia will continue spending 2 percent of GDP on defence. rtvs.sk . 6 May 2024.
4. Web site: Work, Slovakian Defense Minister Review Bilateral Relationship. Defense.gov. 15 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170901071837/https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/633563/work-slovakian-defense-minister-review-bilateral-relationship/. 1 September 2017. live. dmy-all.
5. Web site: NATO Update: Seven new members join NATO - 29 March 2004. Nato.int. 24 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140315110351/http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2004/03-march/e0329a.htm. 15 March 2014. live. dmy-all.
6. Web site: kniha o obrane SR 2013". https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214318/https://lt.justice.gov.sk/Attachment/vlastn%C3%BD%20materi%C3%A1l_doc.pdf?instEID=-1&attEID=52223&docEID=291685&matEID=5903&langEID=1&tStamp=20130212112258283. dead. 4 October 2013. Lt.justice.gov.sk. 15 December 2017.
7. Web site: Financial and Economic Data Relating to NATO Defence. Nato.int. 15 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171205201156/https://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_topics/20140224_140224-PR2014-028-Defence-exp.pdf. 5 December 2017. live. dmy-all.
8. Web site: Slovenská armáda je v kritickom stave, má to fatálne následky. Komentare.sme.sk. 24 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141224204647/http://komentare.sme.sk/c/7191511/slovenska-armada-je-v-kritickom-stave-moze-to-mat-fatalne-nasledky.html. 24 December 2014. live. dmy-all.
9. Web site: Funkcionári .
10. Web site: Aktuality. 1mb.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
11. Web site: Aktuality 2. mechanizovanej brigády. mbpo.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
12. Web site: Aktuality. 5dp.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
13. Web site: Aktuality. 91zpsd.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
14. Web site: Aktuality .
15. Web site: Aktuality. 71prpv.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
16. Web site: Aktuality. 103prrchbo.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
17. Web site: Contracts for April 20, 2017. Defense.gov. 15 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170918202010/https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1158321/. 18 September 2017. live. dmy-all.
18. Web site: Colt Capitalizes on Foreign Military Sales Program - The Firearm Blog. 27 April 2017. Thefirearmblog.com. 15 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170601061415/http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2017/04/27/colt-capitalizes-foreign-military-sales-program. 1 June 2017. live. dmy-all.
19. Web site: Aktuality. 51vz.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
20. Web site: Aktuality. 52vpr.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
21. Web site: Aktuality. 57samo.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
22. Web site: Aktuality. 4plog.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
23. Web site: Aktuality. 41zz.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
24. Web site: Aktuality. 42zz.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
25. Web site: 43. Zásobovacia základňa Zemianske Kostoľany .
26. Web site: Aktuality. 53prpsl.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
27. Web site: Aktuality. 405oppr.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
28. Web site: Aktuality. 6spojp.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
29. Web site: 61. Spojovací prápor Trenčín .
30. Web site: 62. Spojovací prápor Ružomberok .
31. Web site: Topografický ústav plukovníka Jána Lipského .
32. Web site: Aktuality. vevz.mil.sk. 8 September 2023.
33. Web site: Velenie .
34. Web site: Odbor riadenia vojenského zdravotníctva a zdravotníckych analýz .
35. Web site: Odbor plánovania a výcviku .
36. Web site: Odbor logistiky .
37. Web site: Odbor rozvoja vojenského zdravotníctva .
38. Web site: Odbor veterinárneho zabezpečenia .
39. Web site: Odbor Poľných Mobilných Zdravotníckych Jednotiek .
40. Web site: Poľná mobilná zdravotnícka jednotka Role 2B .
41. Web site: OP Práporu logistiky vojenského zdravotníctva .
42. Web site: United Nations Mission´s Summary detailed by Country 2014. 30 June 2014. Un.org. 15 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160321071138/http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/contributors/2014/jun14_3.pdf. 21 March 2016. live. dmy-all.
43. Web site: Troop and police contributors. United Nations Peacekeeping . 2016-10-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161006132340/http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/resources/statistics/contributors.shtml . 6 October 2016 . dmy-all .
44. Web site: EUFOR "Exercise Quick Response 2" begins. https://web.archive.org/web/20131221132639/http://www.euforbih.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2354:eufor-exercise-quick-response-2-begins&catid=105:press-statements&Itemid=70. dead. 21 December 2013. Jasmin. EUFOR ALTHEA. 24 December 2014.
45. Web site: History of military operations abroad.
46. Web site: Two Slovakian Soldiers Killed in Kabul Suicide Car Bomb. https://archive.today/20140110100326/http://www.defensenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013312270009. dead. 10 January 2014. Defense News. 24 December 2014.
47. Web site: 20 Years of U.S. - Slovak Diplomatic Relations. Usembassy.sk. 24 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140805094444/http://www.usembassy.sk/20years/index.php?page=20. 5 August 2014. live. dmy-all.
48. Web site: Readout of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. defense.gov. 19 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170320052255/https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/605340/readout-of-secretary-of-defense-chuck-hagels-meeting-with-the-slovakian-defense. 20 March 2017. live. dmy-all.