2/2020

Czech ArmedForces 2019

David Jirka started his military career in the year 2001, during his compulsory basic military service in Prague’s  sports club Dukla, where he subsequently continued as a professional athlete-civilian. The opportunity to put on his uniform opened up to him in 2005, right after he won a  silver medal in rowing, quadruple sculls, at the 2004 Athens Olympics."In the Dukla team, everyone had to earn his place, namely with the sporting success he achieved. The length of the work contract depended mainly on the man’s ability to train hard, as training hours lasted five to six hours a day," recalls David Jirka. He also participated in the following Beijing Olympics in 2008 and qualified himself for the 2009 World Rowing Championships.After many successes in the international arena, the management of ASC Dukla offered him a  job to train young people under 23 years of age. "The coach can usually only be a  civilian, so my decision to accept this offer, to become a coach, meant to 'take off' a  military uniform, and that was difficult for me, as I  wanted to continue serving in the military. That is why I immediately nodded at the offer of the Prague Garrison Command and since 2017 I have been serving with the Honour Guard of the Czech Armed Forces as a senior rifleman in the rank of corporal,” Jirka remembers his decision.

Three months of hard trainingLieutenant Colonel Miroslav Leška, commander of the Honour Guard Battalion of the ACR, recalls Jirka’s  beginnings very well: "Initially,

David Jirka: I do not expect words of praise, I am happy among my comrades-in-arms, I still proudly represent

Froma rower to the riflemanRower David Jirka, a silver medallist at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and at the 2003 World Championships in Milano, ended his active sports career at ASC Dukla. In 2017, he joined another team and wears an "outfit" of the Honour Guard of the Army of the Czech Republic.

his main task was to learn everything that every soldier of the Honour Guard must master for the execution of protocol acts. Three months of intensive and hard training, which each member goes through, prepared him for an exemplary representation in public and at the same time identified him with military behaviour and performance. For David Jirka, these three months represented a high psychological burden and change in all respects."Corporal Jirka adds: "I was used to stress and tension before the races, but there you get rid of it during physical activity. With the Honour Guard, I had to adapt a lot and learn to get the stress under control even more."The units of Honour Guard of the Czech Armed forces provide protocol activities throughout the Czech Republic and abroad, as well as the ceremonial welcome of various state foreign delegations, ceremonial military musters, and pleasant exhibition performances, and in this way they represent the Army of the Czech Republic in public. David Jirka further explains: “In fact, I continue to represent our country, now no longer in sports suits, but in a  ceremonial uniform. My past and present

activities require a great deal of self-discipline, patience, accuracy, mutual respect, but also even relaxation.”

Return among the OlympiansWith his balanced nature and modest behaviour, David Jirka spreads a  positive atmosphere even among his comrades-in-arms in the platoon. Now he is starting to train more and more intensively on a  single skiff and again he would like to become actively involved in top sports. "In September of this year, I would like to participate in the Prague Mayor’s  Shield Regatta. If I  succeed, in 2021 I will try to run the so-called control races with the best possible result. Only here my new chances for nomination for the Olympics may open again, as well as a chance to return to the Olympic family," concludes his story, with a wide smile, corporal David Jirka, Olympian, honest sportsman and supposedly an ordinary boy from Jindřichův Hradec.

By MAJ Eva Cajthamlová,

photos: archives of CPL David Jirka

factsheetNickname: OlíMain discipline: quadruple scullsOriginal team: Rowing Club Vajgar Jindřichův HradecGreatest achievements: Military Sports Centre Dukla Praha

Czech Armed Forces 2019 2

The "Forty-one", live deployment 15

Weapons of the poor 18

It must be seen 22

Rescuing isolated warriors 25

Investment in the future of the country 28

The mission always ends with the return of the soldiers 31

Ready to pass on new skills 34

On the wings of MiG-21and JAS-39 Gripen 37

Responding to unexpected situations 38

Engagement sim 40

Stress under control 42

Fast Rope 44

A reservist MEP 46

Death came in themidst of the Storm 48

Published by MoD Czech RepublicCommunication and Promotion DepartmentTychonova 1, 160 01 Praha 6, Czech Republicwww.army.cz

Identification number: 60162694

Address: Rooseveltova 23,161 05 Praha 6, Czech RepublicPhone: +420 973 215 648, +420 973 215 786

Editor -in -chief: Vladimír MarekLayout: Milan Syrový

Translation: Jaroslav Furmánek, Jan Jindra

Cover photo: MAJ Ladislav Kabát

Distributed by MHI Prague, Production SectionRooseveltova 23, 161 05 Praha 6, Czech RepublicOl'ga Endlová, tel. +420 973 215 563

Printed by: Czech Print Center, a. s.

ISSN 1804-9672Registration number: MK ČR E 18227

Published in November 2020

David Jirka as a member of the quadruples

sculls during the Olympic race

Czech Armed Forces2019 Actual number of MoD personnel in 2005–2020

At Military professionals

Defence civilians

Civil servants Total strength

1 Jan 2005 22,272 17,858 40,1301 Jan 2006 23,092 15,992 39,0841 Jan 2007 24,245 14,400 38,6451 Jan 2008 24,355 11,773 36,1281 Jan 2009 24,103 10,575 34,6781 Jan 2010 23,136 9,017 32,1531 Jan 2011 22,261 8,303 30,5641 Jan 2012 21,751 8,248 29,9991 Jan 2013 21,733 8,288 30,0211 Jan 2014 21,011 7,530 28,5411 Jan 2015 20,864 7,487 28,3511 Jan 2016 21,970 6,411 1,131 29,5121 Jan 2017 23,184 6,515 1,148 30,8471 Jan 2018 24,251 6,691 1,178 32,1201 Jan 2019 25,105 6,796 1,183 33,0841 Jan 2020 25,899 6,896 1,163 33,958

PERSONNEL

In 2019, a total of 1,464 new military professionals enlisted in the line of recruitment plus 428 were enlisted as students of the University of Defence and the Military Department of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport of the Charles University.The total number of outgoing personnel in 2019 comprised 1,186 military professionals, 554 defence civilians and 85 civil servants.In 2019, a total of 673 servicemembers were newly assigned to the Active Reserve Component.

Year 2019 Recruitment target Applicants Enlisted %

*Mil. Department 750 1,143 428 57.1

Recruitment 1,450 5,701 1,464 101.0

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

1,098 1,093 1,128 1,214 1,237 1,259 1,488 2,194 2,788 3,190

Actual strength of the Czech Armed Forces Active Reserve Component

Performance on the Czech Armed Forces’ 2019 recruitment target

*Military Department of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport of the Charles University

December 2018 December 2019 Growth Growth in %

Active reserve 2,788 3,190 402 14.4

Year Recruitment target

Applicants Enlisted %

2018 700 1,581 811 115.9

2019 700 1,463 673 96.1

Performance on the recruitment target for the Active Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic

Active Reserve Component in 2019

Performance on recruitment targets

Milrecruitment

target

Milactually enlisted

Mil % ARCrecruitment

target

ARCactual

recruitment

ARC %

2016 2,000 2,148 107.4 - - -

2017 2,000 2,174 108.7 700 886 126.5

2018 2,000 1,977 98.9 700 811 115.9

2019 2,200 1,892 86 700 673 96.1

INTERNATIONAL MILITARY STRUCTURES

Czech Servicemembers in International Military Structures in 2019

In 2019, a total of 201 Czech Armed Forces servicemembers were assigned to the NATO and EU international military staffs, NATO and EU agencies, Czech Armed Forces national representations in international military staffs, who were posted to assignments in the territory of fifteen NATO nations and Ukraine.

Czech Armed Forces representatives also served in the capacity of Director J7 ACO/SHAPE Mons, Belgium, Deputy Chief of Staff Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum, the Netherlands, Chief of Staff Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC) Bydgoszcz, Poland, and Deputy Commander Multinational Division Northeast (MND NE) Elblag, Poland.

Assignments to international staffs and workplaces abroad

Number

Permanent mission in Mons: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Ukraine

158

Permanent mission in Brussels: Belgium

35

Permanent mission in Norfolk:USA

8

TOTAL 201

READINESS FORCES, INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND OBSERVER MISSIONS

NATO and EU Readinnes Forces

NATO Response Force (NRF)Units with total strength of 1,200 personnel were assigned to NRF in 2019. A Czech Armed Forces Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) battery comprising 200 servicemembers was assigned to the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force German-led Brigade on standby to deploy within days. A mechanised battalion complemented with combat support forces and combat support service units with total strength of 1,000 personnel was assigned to the Polish led NATO Response Force brigade at 45 days’ notice to move. The units were on standby in the territory of the Czech Republic.

European Union Battle Groups (EU BG)The international preparation was completed for the Visegrad Four European Union Battle Group in the first half of 2019, built through a  joint effort of the V4 countries. Led by Poland, the V4 EU BG was on standby in the second semester of 2019. The Czech Republic was the lead nation in the domain of logistics, medical support and air support with the total contribution of 550

personnel. At the same time, national and international preparation was ongoing for the German -led EU BG, which will be on standby in the second semester of 2020. The Czech Republic has contributed to the German -led EU BG a mechanised company and specialist teams comprising 250 personnel.

NATOOTAN

INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS AND MISSIONS

In 2019, the Czech MoD and the Czech Armed Forces joined 13 international operations and 4 UN missions in 15 countries. The Czech Republic assigned the total of 1,617 service personnel into those operations in multiple rotations, while reducing its overall engagement in international operations from 913 servicemembers at the beginning of the year to 721 in December 2019. The year 2019 also saw the first member of the Active Reserve Component to deploy for an international operation.

NATO OPERATIONS AND MISSIONSResolute Support Mission, Afghanistan

The Czech Republic engaged in the Resolute Support Mission in the territory of Afghanistan in 2019 in the area of three regional Train, Advise and Assist Commands (TAAC): TAAC -Capital (TAAC -C), TAAC -East (TAAC -E) and TAAC -West (TAAC -W). The Czech Republic deployments averaged altogether 330 personnel with

the total mandated strength of 390 personnel. The division across the regions was as follows:

TAAC -C – Kabul, Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA), hosted the following Czech forces:• Czech Armed Forces Task Force Headquarters Resolute Support with the total strength of 34 personnel, who were responsible for a comprehensive support to all Czech deployments in the territory of Afghanistan;• Guardian Angels (GA) comprising 21 personnel, whose mission is to provide force protection to mentors posted in the Kabul area;• National representation in the Resolute Support Headquarters comprising 21 personnel at Kabul and the Bagram Airfield (BAF), where they performed specialist functions;• Support units as required, such as the Deployable Communication Module (DCM), which performed duties associated with the provision of connectivity for command and control.

In TAAC -E, the BAF Guard Company (GC) with mandated strength of 173 personnel was deployed in the Parwan province. Its order of battle comprised support elements including the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) with

unmanned aerial systems. The Guard Company performed missions relative to security measures in the assigned area of responsibility with the objective to eliminate the opposing forces’ activities targeting the Bagram airbase.

In TAAC -E (Logar, Wardak) and TAAC -W (Farah, Herat), a support and influence unit was deployed. The unit’s command element was based at HKIA and BAF as part of TAAC -C. The support and influence unit comprised as many as 90 personnel, and stabilised at 60 personnel at the end of the year. The unit detachments provided mentoring and support to Afghan special defence and security forces.

In addition, twenty personnel of the Czech Military Police operated in the territory of Afghanistan. The unit’s mission was to provide security to persons and property of the Czech Embassy in Kabul including the Czech Ambassador’s residence.

KFOR Operation Joint Enterprise, KosovoTen Czech Armed Forces specialists posted in the HQ KFOR at Camp Film City in Pristina. Czech Armed Forces servicemembers were involved in performance of operational assignment as part of the international staff.

Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), LithuaniaAs part of the German led enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) effort in Lithuania, the Czech Republic deployed a company sized Czech Armed Forces Task Force eFP Lithuania comprising 235 servicemembers (till the end of June 2019). That effort was followed by the platoon-sized 30-strong Czech Armed Forces EW Task Force eFP based in the Rukla training area, Lithuania.

Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), LatviaIn the NATO eFP under Canadian leadership (in Latvia), the Czech Republic was involved with the Czech Armed Forces Task Force eFP Latvia comprising 55 servicemembers based in the Adazi training area, Latvia.The primary objective of the eFP is to take part in the

multinational eFP Battle Group in common training and strengthening

24 KFOR CHRONICLE 12/2016

www.nato.int/kfor

of NATO’s deterrence and collective defence capabilities in the area of deployment in peace, crisis and potentially in conflict.The Parliament of the Czech Republic authorised the mandate for those eFP training missions at up to 290 personnel.

Baltic Air Policing, EstoniaThe Czech Republic contributed the Czech Armed Forces Task Force Baltic Air Policing comprising 70 airmen stationed at Amari, Estonia. The overall mandate for this operation was up to 95 personnel with five JAS-39 Gripen aircraft.

The unit’s mission was to provide air defence coverage to the airspace above the territory and territorial waters of the Baltic States: Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The airplanes were assigned to the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS).

EU MISSIONS AND OPERATIONS

European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM -M)The Czech Republic was engaged in the in the operation with the Czech Armed Forces Task Force Mali totalling 120 personnel in 2019. The Task Force comprises the representation in the EUTM-M staff, the Bamako force protection unit, Koulikoro force protection unit and two training instructors. The force

protection unit performed the missions associated with security of the HQ EUTM M and the Koulikoro Training Centre.Two instructors assisted on training the Malian Armed Forces in the Koulikoro Training Centre. In performance of those tasks, the Czech servicemembers predominantly cooperated with French, Malian, German and Spanish units.Upon the establishment of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Mali in September 2019, the mission for the Czech deployment was expanded with the task to support our Czech Embassy.

EUFOR Althea, Bosnia and HerzegovinaThe parliamentary mandate for the EUFOR Operation was two personnel in 2019. The Czech Republic was involved in the operation with two officers, who performed duties relative to the provision of camp security, checking and potential disposal of unexploded ordnance of munitions of the Armed

Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Czech Armed Forces service personnel were assigned to the Operation Headquarters at Camp Butmir Sarajevo.

EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta, Somalia, United KingdomThe Parliamentary mandate for EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta was three service personnel in 2019. The primary mission is to provide antipiracy protection to vulnerable vessels and sea lines of communication in the maritime area of the Horn of Africa. The Czech Republic was engaged in the

operation with two officers and one non-commissioned officer, who served at the Operation Headquarters (OHQ) at Naval Station Rota, Spain.

EU NAVFOR MED Operation Sophia, ItalyThe Czech mandate for EU NAVFOR MED Operation Sophia authorised 5 service personnel in 2019. The mission was established in response to the migration crisis. The primary tasks include the elimination of people smuggling networks, rescue of migrants in distress and training of the Libyan Cost Guard. The

Czech Republic engaged with three personnel, who performed tasks at the Operation Headquarters and one servicemember at the Force Headquarters (FHQ) based at Rome, Italy.

INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS • MILITARY OPERATIONSOF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

MFO, Sinai, Arab Republic of EgyptThe Czech Republic engaged in MFO with three officers assigned at HQ MFO, and an air unit with the C-295 CASA aircraft comprising altogether 15 personnel. The air unit provided airlift for personnel and materiel among the MFO camps, Cairo and Tel Aviv, transport of government and liaison officials of

the parties of the Peace Treaty, and partially also Search and Rescue (SAR) service and Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) as well as verification and observation flights.

Operation Inherent Resolve, Iraq, KuwaitIn 2019, the Czech Republic assigned the Czech Armed Forces Task Forces Iraq, which included service personnel posted at the OIR (Operation Inherent Resolve) and NMI (NATO Mission Iraq) headquarters and staffs in Baghdad, at Al Taji base, plus one servicemember in Kuwait. The Czech Armed

Forces Task Force Iraq includes the Military Police Training Team and the CBRN Training Team with total strength of 38 personnel.

Air Advisory Team (AAT), IraqThe Czech Armed Forces Air Advisory Team comprising 35 personnel was stationed at the Balad Air Force Base and provided mentoring to the Iraqi Air Force flight and ground personnel with respect to the L-159 aircraft. The team terminated air mentoring at 31 November 2018 and focused specifically on

ground preparation.The performance of operational assignment was terminated on 31 May 2019. On 30 June 2019, the complete AAT redeployed back to the Czech Republic, including personnel and materiel from the Balad Air Force Base.The Air Advisory Team was transformed into the ALCA Training Unit, which comprises up to 13 personnel and deploys twice a year for about two month’s tour.

Military Police Training Team (MPTT), IraqThe Czech Military Police Training Team with 7 person-nel was deployed in the territory of the Republic of Iraq in 2019 to provide training and mentoring to the Iraqi Police. The unit was a part of the Task Force Police Iraq led by the Italian Carabinieri and was based at the Iraqi Police School at Camp Dublin in Baghdad.

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence Training Team (CBRN TT), IraqIn 2019, the territory of the Republic of Iraq also hosted the CBRN defence training team comprising 12 personnel, provided advisory support and mentoring to operational training of Iraqi Armed Forces CBRN on the protection against weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The unit was based at the CBRN defence school at Al Taji base.The CBRN Training Team was temporarily reinforced with a lab specialist training unit

of up to 13 personnel, who have operated autonomously and deployed twice a year for a two month’s tour. The unit operated in the internal perimeter of the Baghdad International Airport.

UN MISSIONS

UNDOF, Golan Heights, Syria, IsraelWhile the mandate for UNDOF was up to 10 personnel in 2019, the Czech Republic was engaged with four officers serving at UNDOF Headquarters at Camp Faouar on the Syrian side (3 personnel) and in Camp Ziouani on the Israeli side (1 personnel). In the UNDOF Headquarters, the Czech personnel perfor-med specialist functions.

MINUSMA, MaliUntil September 2019, the Czech Republic was engaged in MINUSMA with 5 personnel, who served at the MINUSMA Headquarters in Bamako (3) and

in Camp Gao, embedded in the German ISR team (2). From October 2019, the engagement was reduced by two personnel who operated as part of the German contingent in Gao.

UN Military Observers

The Czech Armed Forces UN military observers served tours in 2019 in four UN peace missions comprising the total of 9 personnel.

MONUSCO (Democratic Republic of Congo) – 2 personnelUNMIK (Kosovo) – 2 personnelMINUSMA (Mali) – 2 personnelMINUSCA (Republic of Central Africa) – 3 personnel

Iraq

Somalia

Republicof Central Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Mali

Estonia

Latvia

Lithuania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Kosovo

Israel

Sinai

Mediterranean Sea

Afghanistan

NATO

Coalition operations based on international agreements

UN

European Union

Current operational deployments of the Czech Armed Forces

European Union

MODERNISATION

Mechanised forces – efforts are underway to complete the project of replacing the primary equipment of the 7th Mechanised Brigade through procurement of a total of 210 new tracked infantry fighting vehicles in seven variants with deliveries planned in 2022–25. The military tests of 20 wheeled C2 and C3 vehicles on the Pandur platform were successfully completed with deliveries ongoing in 2019–20. The procurement has been ongoing of forty-two C2 and C3 wheeled armoured vehicles on the TITUS Tatra platform. The preparations for upgrade of T-72M4 CZ tanks, planned for 2022–25, have been recently finalised.The deliveries of MUM-14 night vision goggles and universal ballistic vests for mechanised forces were completed. For another item of individual ballistic protection, Model 2017 ballistic helmets, verification tests and subsequently military tests were commenced. The new helmets are slated for introduction to the inventory in 2020.Repeated military tests went through successfully of the project named Advanced Active Protection against the effects of handheld antitank weapons and antitank missiles.

Artillery  – in the frame of the project to maintain and develop the Czech Armed Forces’ artillery, the preparations have continued to develop documentation for the acquisition of the following projects: self-propelled NATO gun, artillery fire control system and the fire support coordination post. In the domain of science, development and research, the following projects are pursued:

• The project of implementation of radio sounding devices on the PODTEO wheeled platform successfully passed the military tests; • action associated with its implementation is presently taking place;• Calibre 60 mm SMK -LD shells and 60 mm ILL -LD shells;• DPzP maintenance vehicle;• Proposal of upgrade of the Czech Armed Forces’ mortars after 2020 – the ROZMIN study was completed and accepted in timelines pursuant to the contract.

Engineer service  – to ensure freedom of movement of own forces, specifications were developed and submitted for the procurement of

new floating bridges with higher loadbearing capacity to replace the obsolescent PMS pontoon bridging system and for the acquisition of new bridges on wheeled platform with adequate ballistic protection and a higher loadbearing capacity to overcome both water and land obstacles.In order to enhance the combat engineer support capabilities, the public procurement case was started to acquire 5 units of ballistic resistant earthmoving machines (High Mobility Engineer Excavators) for the engineer service. Specifications were developed for ordering a  feasibility study for the procurement of a  single medium wheeled platform for the engineer service.

CBRN defence – the acquisition process is designed to progressively modernise the equipment and materiel in the inventory of the Czech Armed Forces CBRN Defence Service. The performance commenced of the contract for the procurement of light armoured vehicles designated S -LOV -CBRN and LOV -CBRN II for sampling and identification of chemical and radiological agents. The deliveries of a  total of 80 vehicles to the CBRN defence units are scheduled for 2021-22. Preparations were commenced for an upgrade of the AL-3 field lab planned for 2020, which will allow for its use as part of CJ -CBRND -TF with standby starting at 1 Jan 2021. A progressive modernisation has taken place of the parts of the instrumentation and equipment in the area of detection, identification and monitoring including the development of decontamination capabilities.Specific science, research and innovation projects are designed to cover forensic sampling, detection of specific chemical warfare agents, decontamination of sensitive and internal surface of military vehicles and equipment including small arms and light weapons as well as projects designed to develop new individual personal protective equipment.In 2019, the formation and intensive training took place of the DAAM -FP -CBRND unit, whose primary mission is to provide CBRN defence to a NATO operational airbase.

Airborne forces – the development started of the airborne regiment, which will be formed on the basis of the 43rd Airborne Battalion in Chrudim at 1 October 2020. Based on the unit development

plan, drafting of mandatory documentation for the renovation of immovable infrastructure in the Chrudim garrison is underway as well as the planning of progressive introduction of military equipment and materiel for the nascent regiment.The airborne, rescue and paradrop service section of the MoD Force Development Division has taken over the responsibility for the development of the sniper military occupational specialty of the Czech Armed Forces.The members of the section are involved in paratrooper training in the Czech Armed Forces including military tests of equipment and materiel associated with such training.

Intelligence support  – the prototype highly automated reconnaissance unmanned ground vehicle prototype designated UGV -Pz was successfully completed, primarily designed for land reconnaissance and land reconnaissance support, which attained new unmanned reconnaissance capabilities. Specific development projects resulted in the introduction of new electronic warfare systems – the STARKOM jammers and Deployable Passive Electronic Support Measures Trackers (DPETs) for covert information gathering from the electromagnetic spectrum, and TUAS (Tactical Unmanned Aerial System) to attain new unmanned aerial systems capabilities. Essential components and materiel were acquired to support the operation of the ScanEagle unmanned aerial system on a foreign deployment.

Military medicine  – modernisation continued of the equipment of rehabilitation facilities that are an essential component for the provision of primary care in selected Medical Services Centres. Further, instrumentation was modernised for the provision of pre-hospital care, helicopter emergency medical service and renewal of equipment in the inventory of field hospitals. A contract was executed to replace the instrumentation in stationary and mobile labs of the Military Medicine Institute essential to perform hygienic and counter-epidemic support of the MoD, and modernisation of the BIOROVER and BIOSCAM superstructures. The performance of the contract was extended through the first half of 2020. The realisation started of the replacement of medical evacuation vehicles on the UAZ and Land

Rover Defender platforms through the introduction of the LZTOP system (light medical evacuation system). The program will continue in the years ahead until the final modernisation of this equipment is completed by 2030. Concurrently, the replacement takes place of obsolete ambulance cars at the Medical Services Centres with modern Volkswagen ambulance vehicles.

Ground Based Air Defence – the RBS-70NG procurement program is designed to acquire 16 units of the RBS-70NG man-portable air defence systems in 2020–2021 as a  replacement of the 9K35M STRELA-10M2D/IFF (SA-13 Gopher) system. The RBS-70NG system passed the military tests prior to the introduction into the inventory and the first batch of 8 units is scheduled for delivery in 2020.The strategic project of new SHORAD system to replace the 2K12 KUB (SA-6 Gainful) in 2022–26 is on schedule, with the contract execution planned by the end of 2020.

Helicopter and Transport Air Force  – modernisation is underway of the Mi-17 helicopters linked with the Single European Sky/Single European Sky ATM Research (SES/SESAR) project and the Mi-171Sh helicopters to keep up the ability to provide airlift in support of the land forces and the performance of the missions by the Special Operation Air Task Unit (SOATU). In 2019, documentation was developed and contracts signed for the modernisation of the CASA C-295M transport aircraft in connection with the SES/SESAR project and for the procurement of two new C-295MW aircraft. In addition, a contracting procedure was initiated in 2019 for the procurement of a small business jet airplane, primarily to provide air transport of top constitutional and government leaders.The Czech Republic joined the Multinational Multirole Fleet (MMF) program to gain access to the shared fleet of the Airbus A-330 MRTT multirole tanker transport aircraft.

Tactical air units – military tests were completed of the night vision goggles (NVG) for both the JAS-39 Gripen and L-159 aircraft pilots.Deliveries and preparation in progress for the integration of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) terminals for information transfer using LINK 16 with the military tests planned in 1Q 2020. The system will enable the transmission of tactical and operation data between the aircraft and the command and control elements and sharing of classified information on the operation of the opponent’s  assets between own assets and air and land command posts. Three L-159T2 dual control aircraft were accepted and introduced into the inventory of the Czech Armed Forces in 2019

as well. The third phase was completed of the modernisation of the KTL-159 trainer, which sought to upgrade the multimedia room and PC simulators for L-159 aircraft pilots. Preparations commenced for Secure Voice systems on the JAS-39 Gripen aircraft and military tests of special flight equipment (helmet, oxygen mask, anti g suit, pilot vest and ejection seat survival kit) for tactical aircraft pilots. Mandatory documentation is developed for contracting for an upgrade of the JAS-39 Gripen aircraft including the integration of IFF Mode 5 to improve the JAS-39 Gripen identification friend or foe capability, integration of new short and medium range missiles and GPS guided air-to-ground ammunition, integration of the Forward Air Controller (FAC) link to enhance the ability to perform close air support in cooperation with JTACs. The future introduction of the new standard Second Generation Anti -Jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) radio communication system is in a preparation phase. An integrated working team was formed at the end of the year with the tasking to define the future shape of tactical air units beyond 2027, after the lease of the JAS-39 Gripen supersonic aircraft expires.

Key strategic projects

Att

aini

ng th

e Cz

ech

Arm

ed F

orce

s ca

pabi

litie

s

Support of Land Forces

and Special Forces

Recognised air picture

– air defence

Heavy brigade

Effective fire support

Multirole helicopters

Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicles

NATO calibre guns

Mobile Air Defence Radars (MADR)

Images are only illustrative

NEW CAPABILITIESThe development of new capabilities is a direct result of the changes in the requirements presently facing the Czech Armed Forces. The changes can be divided into two main areas  – changes in the C2 system and the development of forces capable of dealing with new requirements and missions. The new capabilities are built in accordance with the Czech Armed Forces Development Concept 2030.

Command and Control systems1. Organisational redesign of the General Staff (GS). The Support Division of the Ministry of Defence (MoD SD) was abolished, and the MoD Logistics Division, MoD Communication and Information Systems Division and the MoD Military Medicine Division were formed. The Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare Department was reorganised into the MoD Czech Armed Forces Intelligence Support Division. All newly formed components achieved the initial operational capability at 1 January 2020. The MoD Joint Operation Centre (MoD JOC) was abolished at 31 December 2019.

2. Transition from two-echelon command and control system to a  three-level one (comprising strategic, operational and tactical level). The operation level is represented by the Operations Command (OpsCom). The OpsCom achieved the initial operational

capability 1 Jan 2020 and will have achieved full operational capability at 1 Jan 2022.

3. New structure of the tactical level:• Land Forces Command (LFC)The LFC achieved the initial operational capability at 1 Jan 2020, and will reach the full operational capability at 1 Jan 2021, upon its relocation from the Prague garrison into the Olomouc garrison.The capability to form and develop land task forces for tactical missions both inside and outside the Czech territory and for the performance of other statutory missions in the territory of the Czech Republic.

• Air Force Command (AFC)The AFC achieved the initial operational capability at 1 Jan 2020, and is planned to attain the full operational capability at 1 Jan 2022.The capability of ensuring sovereignty, national defence capability and territorial integrity of the Czech Republic and its airspace.

Force development1. Cyber Forces and Information Operations Command (CFIOC)Formation commenced 1 Jul 2019, achieved the initial operational capability at 1 Jan 2020, and full operational capability at 1 Jan 2025, based in Brno.CFIOC contributes to the security and defence of

the Czech Republic’s  cyber space and information environment with the capability of protecting own parts of the cyberspace, information operations in the cyberspace, psychological operations and civil-military cooperation.

2. Territorial Command (TerCom)Formation commenced 1 Jul 2019, initial operational capability was achieved at 1 Jan 2020, full operational capability will be achieved at 1 Jan 2025, based at Tábor.TerCom is responsible for providing specialist policy

guidance to the Regional Military Headquarters in the area of the ARC for calling up ARC personnel for training, military exercises and operational assignment/deployment including the issuance of their equipment and materiel.

3. Airborne Regiment (subordinate to the LFC)Formation commenced 1 Jul 2019, initial operational capabilities will be achieved at 1 Oct 2020, full operational capability at 1 Jan 2026, based at Chrudim.The Airborne Regiment will have the ability to operate as an immediate reaction force in

contingencies claiming a military response within as well as outside the territory of the Czech Republic. It will have the capability to operation in NATO Task Forces and in hybrid environments with both military and non-military actors.

4. Deployable Forces Support Battalion (subordinate to the Director of the Logistics Agency)Formation commenced 1 Jan 2020, initial operational capability achieved 1 Jan 2022, full operational capability will be achieved at 1 Jan 2025, based at Rakovník.The battalion will have the capability to provide HNS, RSOM -SA and RSOM -CSC services in support of the Czech Armed Forces and NATO forces inside as well as outside the territory of the Czech Republic.

5. Medical battalions (subordinate to Director of Military Medicine Agency).The 6th Medical Battalion: Formation commenced at 1 Jan 2020, initial operational capability will be achieved at 1 Jan 2023, full operational capability will be achieved at 1 Jan 2026, based at Hradec Králové.Capability of comprehensive medical support to a Brigade Task Force.

6. Unmanned Aerial Systems Battalion (subordinate to the 53rd Recce and Electronic Warfare Regiment)Formation commenced at 1 Jan 2020, initial operational capability will be achieved at 1 Oct 2020, full operational capability will be achieved 1 Jan 2025, based at Prostějov.The battalion will assign modular components of individual categories of unmanned aerial systems in support of task forces.

KEY MISSIONS OF THE CZECH ARMED FORCES IN 2020

• Train commanders and staffs

• Train forces and the ARC to maintain capabilities to ensure the defence of the Czech Republic

• Prepare, deploy and support forces and assets on operations inside and outside the Czech Republic’s territory

• Develop the Czech Armed Forces’ command and control capability

• Perform missions linked with the development of new components as of optimisation of the Czech Armed Forces’ structure

• Sustain operational serviceability and develop immovable infrastructure in support of the Czech Armed Forces

• Generate stocks for an operational deployment and for reinforcing the capability of mobilisation and build-up of the Czech Armed Forces

• Realize the Czech Armed Forces’ capability development projects

A two-week Griffin-I exercise took place in March in the Hradiště Military Training Area, the Doupov Mountains

In the training area of Military Regional Office Hradiště, the Doupov Mountains, a two-week Griffin-I exercise took place in March, the main actors of which were soldiers of the 41st Mechanized Battalion (41 Mech Bn) from Žatec, the so-called "Forty-one". They were accompanied by their comrades-in-arms from the 42nd Mechanized Battalion Tábor and the scouts from the 13th Artillery Regiment. They form together a task force assigned to the NATO Readiness Initiative (NRI). This exercise is also a preparation for the largest exercise of the 4th Brigade in this year – Strong Eagle 2020.

The "Forty-one",live deployment

"The training has the character of comprehensive full-scale field training," said the commander of the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade, Colonel Josef Trojánek. "In addition to live fire from small arms and mounted weapons, tactical preparation and driver training, in the activities there were also fully involved the staff and individual elements of logistical support. But the most important thing is to harmonize soldiers from different units, so that they could be immediately capable of seamless deployment, in case of need.”

The Griffin’s  Task  – to harmonize the activities of unitsEach unit has its own standard operating procedures for responding to different situations. And the purpose of the Griffin-I  exercise was primarily to bring together the units to act as a whole. The task force based on the 41st Mechanized Battalion is on standby for the NRI, at least until the end of this year. It is formed by a total of 700 soldiers, who are prepared, if necessary, to be deployed in NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). This means the readiness to move within ten days and to be deployed practically anywhere in the world, within thirty days. As to assigned tasks, the unit is to perform a wide range of combat operations,

using all military equipment available to the battalion  – including the deployment of Pandur wheeled armoured vehicles."It is necessary to harmonize all aspects of combat operations, from standard operational procedures, through drills, tactical skills, signal transmission, up to the procedural mechanisms of command and control," stressed the commander of the task force and at the same time also the commander of the 41st Mechanized Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Kočica.His words are completed by the Senior Enlisted Leader of the 41st Mechanized Battalion, Warrant Officer 1st Class František Němec. "Our goal is to train soldiers to respond in the same way – in mutual communication, in guidance, or in responding to incidents," and adds that the culmination of the exercises are combat firing of mechanized platoons with the support of a  mortar battery, which is a combination of tactics with the use of live ammunition.

First week – tactics and live firing"For the whole first week, the soldiers trained tactics and fire independently, now the training culminates in the live firing of squads,” Lieutenant Colonel Kočica continues. "In practice, they perform a  thematic task with live ammunition and the unit proceeds as if it were a  real action. After scheduling there comes the issue of a combat order, followed by preparation and completion of the task. In that event, when combat operations are practised at the tactical range, there is prepared for soldiers an unknown target situation, simulating the activity of the enemy."At the same time, the umpires create "ad hoc" incidents, to which the soldiers must react immediately. These include a  vehicle breakdown, injury or artillery raid. "Everything

is then evaluated by the umpires that means from the behaviour of an individual soldier, to the response of the whole unit. This evaluation is extremely important for further joint preparation, when we focused on eliminating possible imperfections,“ informs further Kočica.

Strong Eagle 2020 will test the 4th Rapid Deployment BrigadeThe largest exercise of the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade, the Strong Eagle, is scheduled for May this year. It will involve over 1,200 soldiers from various units of the Army of the Czech Republic and another 150 soldiers will control the units through computers. The connection of real players, simulated participants, and equipment, in one single moment and in one place, will be exceptional and unique. Besides the Hradiště military training area, the exercise will also take place at the Centre of Simulation and Training Technologies (CSTT) in Brno."The main actor will be the 41st Mechanized Battalion, which has been assigned to the NRI (NATO Readiness Initiative) since January this year," states Colonel Jan Štěpánek, officer conducting the Strong Eagle 2020 exercise and at the same time deputy commander of the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade. "In addition to the "Forty-one" (41 Mech Bn Žatec), there will be also other brigade battalions – 42nd, 43rd and 44th, as well as artillerymen, logistics, engineers, paramedics, chemists, members of air defence, military reconnaissance and military police officers – all they will take part in the exercise.Forty soldiers of the German 10th Armoured Division will also arrive in the Doupov Mountains, with whom the units of the 4th Brigade co-operate regularly. The deployment of various military equipment

is expected, especially Pandur wheeled armoured vehicles and Iveco light armoured vehicles.

Networking reality with simulation"The exercise will be exceptional above all due to its unprecedented character," says the officer conducting the exercise, Colonel Jan Štěpánek. "It will be a combination of tactical and so-called distribution exercises, which in practice means a  live tactical exercise with an opponent, supplemented simultaneously by digital simulations of other elements of the combat task force. Their activity will be simulated on computers in Brno and directly distributed to exercise participants positioned in the Hradiště military training area."In the training area, soldiers of the 41st Me-chanized Battalion will train moves, attacks, defence and delaying actions, while staff members will watch the situation on the battlefield live, on computers at the CSTT cen-tre in Brno. Along with the real soldiers in the field, staff members will control through the monitors other, non-existent units, which would be part of the task force in the actual deployment.However, with live ammunition, such a  simulation exercise would not be possible Thus the soldiers will be equipped with tactical combat simulators that capture laser signals initiated by the firing of blank ammunition and the officer conducting the exercise will monitor the accuracy and effectiveness of the points of impact on

a computer and he will see live all moves on the battlefield. The colours will show him the immediate situation  – enemy movements, but also injuries or eliminations from the action," Colonel Štěpánek explains the matter and adds that Pandur combat vehicles will be also equipped with simulators.According to Colonel Štěpánek, the Strong Eagle 2020 exercise will test not only the skills

of soldiers in the field, but also the abilities of command staffs. The key role will be played by army logistics personnel, whose main task will be the complete supplying and resupplying of military units with the resources which they need in order to carry out their operational tasks.

Text and photos by Jana Deckerová and the 41 Mech Bn

The head of the Department of Epidemiology Prof. MUDr. Roman Chlíbek, Ph.D., former dean of the Faculty of Military Health Sciences Hradec Králové, has been working in the crisis team of the Ministry of Health since the beginning of the fight against the pandemic

One of those who has participated in the fight against coronavirus alongside Roman Prymula, from the very beginning of the pandemic, is the head of the Department of Epidemiology and the former dean of the Faculty of Military Health Sciences at Hradec Králové, professor MUDr. Roman Chlíbek, Ph.D. And so he is the very man we asked for the following interview.

Weapons of the poor

In 1999, you and the 6th Field Hospital participated in military missions in Albania and in earthquake-stricken Turkey. What is it like to replace academic and scientific spheres with an environment of military foreign operation?This situation was, of course, completely different from the academic university environment. But I am glad that I was able to take part in this mission abroad. Prior to this deployment, I worked as a general practitioner at Stará Boleslav with the PVOS (State Area Air Defence) headquarters. There I  practiced peaceful military medicine. Later, I  had the opportunity to enter the military university environment and try to work in the academic sphere. When the offer to work in the mission came, I  saw it as an opportunity to combine all these experiences with practice, in certain crisis conditions. It was a great experience for

me. I  could apply my theoretical knowledge from the academic environment, as well as the practical experience of a  unit medical officer and those I  got in a  military hospital, and then use all this to help people affected by either the war crisis or a natural disaster.

Why did you start specializing in epidemiology and vaccination years ago?As a  medical officer at the time, I  still had limited opportunities to choose a professional focus that I  should pursue. At the same time, I  wanted to move forward from the practical field medicine. My priority was to work simultaneously at Hradec Králové, my hometown, in which I  have a  number of private and professional ties. At that moment, the choice fell on the Military Medical Academy. So I  applied for an audition for the position of assistant at the Department

of Military Epidemiology. I  decided to deal with epidemiology. Then I  came to the conclusion that something beautiful can be found in every medical field. When I  started my medical career, I  was on an internship at the Military University Hospital (ÚVN) in Prague Střešovice, and I  flirted with surgery, which was then a big dream for me. When the offer from the Department of Epidemiology appeared, I thought I would try another area of medicine again. I knew that I would go in depth, I would find something that would be attractive and interesting to me. And maybe even more attractive than the surgery. After a  while, my idea was confirmed. It turns out that the epidemiology and prevention of the spread of diseases is something very dynamic, changing every year, and never ending. In retrospect, I am very glad that I chose this part of medicine, which is quite dramatic anyway.

So you don’t regret not being a surgeon at the ÚVN?No, I definitely don’t regret it. Being a surgeon is very demanding, even physically and mentally. There are also certain legal issues involved. Many patients look back to see if the treatment was done correctly or whether it was not unnecessarily complicated.

You are a  scientific secretary of the Czech Vaccination Society, what does this function cover?In 2005, we concluded that the issue of vaccination and vaccines is a  broad area, with never-ending progress in the future, which deserved the establishment of an independent professional medical society. And so it happened, that at this time they were military doctors, epidemiologists, who were at the birth of the establishment of this nationwide Czech epidemiological society. To this day, it functions as an important part of the Czech medical community. The position of the scientific secretary of this society means constant monitoring of data and publications in the field of vaccination and vaccines. We must constantly maintain our knowledge in accordance with the concept of the so-called Evidence Based Medicine. This concept also includes the preparation of expert opinions and recommendations. Besides, I  have to participate in the creation of documents for the vaccination strategy and vaccination programmes for the Czech Republic. I also participate in the activities of the National Immunization Commission of the Czech Republic, where I perform the function of vice-chairman. As a  secretary, I  also work in the field of prevention and vaccination at the Scientific Council of the Ministry of Health. The function of secretary is focused on communication with other professional societies, communication with patients and on the preparation of expert opinions and recommendations.

What do you think of young women who fight against vaccinations of all kinds?I am terribly sorry and sad that in today’s age of social networks and the internet, the public is literally overwhelmed with such misleading and pseudo-scientific information. Those are young mothers, who are confronted with this flood of unscientific and often not proved misinformation reports. They mislead on the basis of deceptive information that vaccination is dangerous and damages the health of their offspring. We even receive letters that we allegedly kill children by vaccination. The problem lies probably in the fact that only a minority of people share correct, verified information. That is why we experts try to update and expand the information, as much as possible. We bring exact evidence that vaccination is not only safe, but above all beneficial. Sometimes it may seem that there are too many women who

refuse to vaccinate their children. But I don’t think so. It is only a  phenomenon of a  loud minority. We may say, the fewer opponents, the more they write on the networks. They copy articles from each other, pass them on, and outwardly they pretend to be a  large group. But that is not true. In most cases, many of those women who initially refuse to be vaccinated, changed their minds when they see in their neighbourhood that someone has a serious infectious problem that could have been prevented by vaccination. Suddenly, for example, they come up with a  six-year-old

child saying that they would like to have him vaccinated against tetanus.

Why does the University of Defence have a  Department of Epidemiology? Is it because current armies must anticipate and be prepared for some form of biological warfare?I  don’t know if I  can afford to say that, but I’m not sure if the University of Defence has a  Department of Epidemiology, or rather the Department of Epidemiology currently has a  University of Defence. The history of

the Department of Epidemiology at Hradec Králové has been terribly long, dating back to 1950. Already at that time, a  detached department of military epidemiology was established there. Since then, we have been working in this spirit and building it further and further. The threats of infectious diseases confirm that such capacity is absolutely necessary. It is a kind of further continuation to war conflicts. Biological warfare is a  phenomenon that can occur at any time, as they are the cheapest weapons of mass destruction. The production of a  biological weapon is far cheaper than the production of any chemical or nuclear weapon. Therefore biological substances are referred to as weapons of the poor. Thus it is not possible to rule out the possibility that someone will abuse a biological agent and start a biological war. It is our department that should deal not only with monitoring these situations, but also with information on how to protect ourselves against these weapons. Eventually, what form of not only prevention, but also treatment to offer at the time of such an attack. This is the war part of our work. However, it turns out that the army is also involved in certain humanitarian and natural disasters. And it is our department that can help significantly in these cases.

How did you get to the Ministry of Health at the beginning of the pandemic, is it true that even the prime minister was involved in this issue?Yes it’s  right. I had several phone calls about whether I  would like to join the work of a  group set up at the Ministry of Health to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. This request came from the part of government and prime minister and was discussed with the minister of defence, and I was released to carry out this activity. At the moment when this mutual agreement was reached, it was only a  question of when to come to Prague and start working.

What exactly were you in charge of at the Ministry of Health?I  still work there, in three groups. I  am a  member of the Covid Clinical Group. It deals with all professional matters related to the infection. Further, I  am a  member of a  quarantine release group that was more active at a time when we succeeded in getting the epidemic under control. Its activities are still very important. Moreover, I also attended meetings of a laboratory group, where issues related to the diagnosis of the infection were discussed. The debates focused mainly on the problem of which tests to use and at which stages of the epidemic.

How did colleagues from the civilian health sector meet you, was there any rivalry?Definitely not, they welcomed our arrival. There are not many people in our republic who are able to solve this problem. It was seen that they were glad that the Army and the University of Defence were also involved. They also appreciated the fact that in the field of crisis management, we are used to working under time pressure, make timely decisions and organize work accordingly. I think it was beneficial that we set the rules of our activity, meetings of expert groups, evaluation of outputs and passing on information. At the beginning of the epidemic, every hand was good. Not to mention any head that would be able to add some know-how.

Which phase of your work in the crisis staff was the most difficult and what did you have to deal with?One of the more difficult issues was deciding and determining the degree of infectivity of

infected patients. The volume of knowledge about this disease was initially minimal. Determining which patient was dangerous to its surroundings and whether there was necessary to introduce isolation or quarantine measures, it was relatively difficult. Another difficult issue was the interpretation of laboratory tests. Initially, there were not many laboratory facilities. At the same time, interpretations of their results were different around the world. The first tests were imported from China, we had to decide what forms of testing would be and for whom they would be intended. How the testing would proceed and how its results would be interpreted.The employment of general practitioners, especially for adults, was also a difficult point. At the beginning of the epidemic, many of them closed their consulting rooms and switched to distance medical care over the phone. However, not all patients were able to make telephone calls. At that time, we wanted to introduce broader testing, especially of quarantined patients in general practitioners'

factsheetProfessor Roman Chlíbek was born on March 22, 1965, at Hradec Králové. In 1989 he graduated from Military Medical Academy of Jan Evengelista Purkyně (VLA JEP) and Faculty of Medicine, Charles University (LF UK) Hradec Králové, in the field of general medicine. In 1996 and 1997 he studied preventive medicine and health management at the Royal Medical College in London and at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. He gradually passed the attestation in general medicine and the attestation in hygiene and epidemiology. In 2006 he received a  degree of associate professor in the field of hygiene, preventive medicine and epidemiology. In his academic career, he held the position of assistant professor, group leader, chairman of the Academic Senate, vice-dean for external relations and development. In October 2009, he was appointed dean of the Faculty of Military Health and Sciences, Defence University, and in this position he served till 2013. As a military professional, he reached the rank of colonel and ended his military commitment on 31 December 2019. He is the author of a number of publications on vaccination, infectious epidemiology and preventive medicine in domestic and foreign journals.

surgeries. It was quite difficult to agree with them on the conditions and to whom they would provide this type of care in their places.It was also difficult to decide which measures would be released. In this case, there was unbelievable pressure from certain interest groups. All wanted to open their premises, as quickly as possible, to resume their activities. So a compromise had to be found based on the real numbers of the epidemic and the disease incidence. It wasn’t easy. We had to be careful to ensure so that the release could not cause the increased incidence of the disease to return.

How did the Ministry of Health perceive the role of the army in the fight against coronavirus?All the time I  met with a  very positive perception. A number of colleagues jokingly indicated to us that we were introducing a kind of military spirit to the civilian institution. At the end, however, all confirmed that in these crisis situations, a degree of unanimous decision-making, fixed procedures and strong leadership, were the right things to do. They acknowledged gratefully that we had introduced some sort of crisis management into the process.

Have you already made a  personal recapitulation of the last few months, what lessons did this work bring you for the future, what did it give you?The last months have confirmed to me what I experienced on foreign missions in Albania and Turkey. When there is a  crisis situation, the characters of the people show up. Their real knowledge and skills will be shown. In this sense, I  was pleasantly surprised by some people, in others negatively. I  learned that in such crisis situations, it is manifested what kind of individuals, he or she, are. This experience can be used even in the future. If I  would be ordered to put together a  team, I already know what people to choose for it. Another lesson for me was that the problems of crisis management are very important. When you involve real experts in this activity, it bears fruit.

At one moment, people talked about the possibility of infesting a society by Covid-19. Was something similar really possible?Infestation is a  term commonly used in epidemiology, although it is not perceived quite correctly by the general public. The word by itself already makes you feel you're intentionally infecting someone. That it’s  actually an experiment on people. It is not like that. I  have already mentioned that the coronavirus spreads asymptomatic in many cases. When protective measures were released, the chances of being infected without symptoms remained. I  believe that nowadays, there is still some infesting in our society. It cannot be stopped completely.

It’s a natural matter. This must be expected in such diseases.

The current pandemic has affected all spheres of our society, the economy of the Czech Republic is said to return to the level of 2019 in five years. Isn’t there a  danger that the next wave of pandemic could completely disrupt the world economy, our way of life and significantly reduce the standard of living of us all?For a  long time we thought that traditional infectious diseases were time from time appearing, that new infections were coming, but we always felt that we were able to detect them in time and get them under control. In our country, we believed that the pandemic was none of our business. But with the outbreak of coronavirus, it was shown that viruses were always one step ahead of us, and a  pandemic of a  new disease could never be ruled out. But I do not think that we ever will experience again pandemic, as used to be plague or smallpox. That’s because we already know how the diseases are spreading. We are able to diagnose them in time, refine

laboratory methods and get the pandemic under control before it reaches enormous proportions, when we talk about tens and hundreds of millions of infected people. On the other hand, we can never rule out such a  pandemic. An influenza pandemic may occur here, returning to a  greater or lesser extent over a period of thirty or forty years. The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus adapted from animal to human and was the cause of this modern pandemic. This suggests that infectious diseases cannot be underestimated. I  am very pleased that the Czech Republic is following the trend of constant development of infectious medicine and epidemiology. In some countries, you will not find an infectious physician. Infectious diseases are treated there by internists. I  am pleased that, based on tradition, this field is stuck here and the army continues to develop it.

By Vladimír Marek,

photos: author and archive of COL Roman Chlíbek

Somewhere in the back, above the Niger River, the first rays of morning sun began to shine. Fishermen, pushing their slender boats with bargepoles, went out into the water to fish their catch. The mournful voice of a singing muezzin carried through the landscape. The Koulikoro base in Mali woke up to the next day.

It must be seen

The Czech 2nd Protection Unit of the EUTM mission is in charge of the security of the Koulikoro base in Mali

For many Czech soldiers of the company, 2nd Task Force, stationed at this base, this was definitely not a time to wake up. The vast majority of them take turns in the exchange regime. They are in charge of guarding the base, day and night. Their other duties include serving standing-by shifts at the base."The difference compared to service at home, in the Czech Republic, lies mainly in the fact that here you are on duty for twenty-four hours. Anytime and anything can happen and you must be able to react immediately,“ explains staff sergeant D. B.

A strategic TangoWe go to the Tango observation post (OP), together with a pair of our soldiers. We climb towards the vertical rocks. Along the way, we pass a  building built years ago, in colonial style. From the end of the nineteenth century until 1958, the Republic of Mali was a French colony. We are constantly looking underfoot. Sun-heated rocks are said to be popular with snakes and scorpions. So you need to be careful all the way. We are surprised most by the breath-taking view of the surrounding countryside. Even without binoculars, soldiers can still see a  few kilometres beyond the Niger River. It is a very place, from which they can easily control any movement of people near the base. And this move is immediately reported to the operations officer.

They also have their own MASHThe Koulikoro base is located on the edge of the town of the same name, with a population of about 40,000. On one side it is surrounded by a  hilly rock formation, which we climbed a while ago, and on the other by the mighty flow of the Niger River. Building its security is not easy. The area belongs to the Malian Armed Forces, only a  small part of which is used by EUTM units. In addition to the Czechs, there are stationed the French, Spaniards, Germans, Irish and other nationalities. The problem is that Malian soldiers are staying here with their families. Consequently, in the base area, a  number of marketers offer their goods day after day. This is associated with a  large movement of people and materiel through individual entrances.

At the base, there is an allied hospital at the level of Role 2 (advanced emergency treatment), fitness centre, library and running track. The canteen, the mess room, as well as a  military shop, are run by the French. "The food here is very good, much better than I  expected. We can’t complain about anything. There are also plenty of vegetables and fruits. Once a month, there is a barbecue at the base,“ says staff sergeant K. H.We're just passing a  mess room. Before entering it, a  member of our contingent warns a  group of Spanish soldiers that they must wash and disinfect their hands first. From a medical point of view, it is said to be very important. Simply, hygienic conditions in Africa are difficult to compare them with Europe. Sometimes one or two of our people have certain intestinal problems. But this is nothing serious, our medic is always able to handle it, without any problems.The decoration of soldiers’ quarters shows the large representation of an army motorcycle club here. This is evidenced not only by various signs, flags and posters on the walls. Another essential feature of the rooms is a  set of mosquito nets. Although the Niger River is not too far away, they say we have fewer mosquitoes here than in Mali’s  capital Bamako. Nevertheless, due attention needs to be paid to the prevention of malaria, in several cases its underestimation did not pay off. In the passage of a quartering part, there is a  table football, widely used during the free time of soldiers. Our soldiers were also inspired by the American series MASH. The place, where it is possible to sit and discuss both business and often private matters, they named “Bažina”, which is a  Czech translation of the English word Mash.

The difficult task of driversSeveral of our soldiers are running out of the building. This is a  standing-by shift. The local heliport must be protected. A white UN helicopter is approaching the base. While a lot of dust is rising into the air, we are going with a group of our other soldiers on a regular, you could say routine patrol, outside the base. Our boys are conducting a final inspection of Iveco armoured vehicles together with small arms check-up. This is followed by the loading of weapons. One of the soldiers climbs to the top of the armoured vehicle and inserts a bullet belt into the machine gun. The vehicle is equipped with a heavy machine gun calibre 12.7mm and by a weapons station Protector M151 A2, controlled remotely by a  machine gunner from the cabin. "It is not only a greatest firepower of our team, but at the same time, thanks to the camera system, station is our eyes that protect us from potential danger," points out staff sergeant D. B.We leave the base and set off on a dirt road, across a  wide area of grassland, the steppe. Soldiers make a  similar patrol across the steppe at least once a  week. They check certain points, which could serve as places for

launching enemy drones, or they would be suitable for firing missiles at the base. Another purpose of these trips is to demonstrate our presence. It has not only has a  deterrent effect on a  potential opponent, but it also protects the local population. Along the way, we pass several locals with donkeys roasted in a  cart. This is nothing extraordinary, we meet animal-drawn carriages in Mali even on the busiest roads. Even sheep transported on motorcycles and a small cow tied to a goat are not uncommon. The work of a driver belongs among those the least enviable, not only in our contingent."Our tasks include escorting VIPs, accompanying columns and instructors. Those moves are especially demanding for drivers. There is a  completely different road flow than we are used to from Europe. There are no rules. Moreover, as there is very heavy traffic in Bamako, we have to do everything to avoid ripping of the column, which is often very difficult," explains sergeant K. V. “Drivers overtake from the right, from the left, from the sidewalk, from the centre lane, without using turn signals at all. They don’t take into account that our cars have some rear-view mirrors. It is not easy to drive in such traffic, so that no traffic accident could occur," he adds.

Excited childrenWe were able to get acquainted with the local traffic situation in evening the day before, during the trip from Bamako to the Koulikoro base. Typical for Bamako are mostly old Mercedes from the eighties of the last century. They are used by the local upper class. They still have a high price in the local market. Among other things, their transport from Europe is relatively expensive. On the other hand, motorcycles and scooters can be bought here relatively cheaply. In Czech money, it makes about ten thousand crowns. People ride them mostly without number plates and, of course, also without helmets, so do small children. The traffic police or some regulations practically do not exist here.We cross the stream, almost dried up. The radio says: Two men at one o'clock, monitor them. The weapons station on the armoured vehicle immediately rotates in that direction. But nothing suspicious happens in the next few minutes. Only a  little boy drives a  herd of skinny cows to pasture. The security situation in this area is much better than in the north of the country. But everything is relative. Recently, just a  hundred miles to the north, unknown men-at-arms fired on a Red Cross vehicle. That is why Czech soldiers also observe the strictest security rules. Each time our small convoys stop, the search the area along the road. They control the space under the vehicles. They immediately take up a  combat position and determine their fire sectors. Such a  period of false peace is said

to be the worst. If they slowly lost attention and reduce their caution, they could be easily struck by an unexpected raid.The patrol fulfilled its purpose. We're returning to the base. We pass a  local school. It seems that children are the same everywhere in the world. They can’t miss the soldiers passing by. They immediately run towards our column. "The local population is in favour of us. Many of them wave to us in greeting. But the best

are the local children. We are very interesting for them, they always welcome us," smiles staff sergeant D. B.The last thing we have to do is to refuel vehicles at a filling station, in one of the streets in Koulikoro. Or rather, at its African version, not very similar to European ones.

By Vladimír Marek

The Czech Armed Forces has engaged in the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Extraction (S.E.R.E.) training for some years. The training focuses on rescuing military professionals who have become, for various reasons, isolated in a hostile territory as a result of operational activities. The course is primarily designed for servicemembers going downrange. In this context, it did not come as a big surprise to us to encounter a S.E.R.E. training at the Koulikoro Training Camp as part of the EUTM in Mali.

Rescuingisolated warriors

Servicemembers in European Union Training Mission – Mali may be exposed to situations, in which they find survival training useful

‘My responsibilities at the KTC include personnel recovery and S.E.R.E. training, which involves survival and self-preservation techniques, in our case primarily in the desert and bushland,’ Master Sergeant J. Š. explains.

The avoidablesWhile all members of the Czech Armed Forces, as mentioned above, undergo a S.E.R.E. course ahead of deployment, it is not always the case with all armed forces contributing troops to Mali. So, those who have not completed the course, complement their training with S.E.R.E. That is the responsibility of Master Sergeant J. Š. In addition, he is responsible for the protection of the forces against the local, somewhat exotic, flora and fauna. He instructs them what they may encounter in Mali and what plants and animals they should avoid. The training comprises an academic and a  practical part. In the academic part, servicemembers are briefed on the standard operating procedures in the area of deployment. The practical part is designed to

see what such situation would look like and how they should react.‘Soldiers may get separated in various ways, as a result of fire, flood or unexpected climate change. The most likely cause is nevertheless a  hostile activity, a  military coup, attack on the camp, terrorist attack, or forced dispersal of a  smaller response team. Separation may however also occur on movement as a  result of an accident or failure of a  vehicle or helicopter. Individuals may get separated individually or in a  smaller group of friendly soldiers,’ MSG J. Š. elaborates. ‘If someone gets into some kind of an emergency situation, first they have to try and determine their position, report the position to their superiors and inform the chain of what they intend to do. When the situation permits, they should stay close to their vehicle or in its proximity. They should also secure sensitive materiel such as ammo, radios, water, food, maps and GPS. From a  safe and concealed hideout, they should watch the area, prepare possible escape routes and wait for the recovery team.’

Using emergency meansIf the rescue unit cannot arrive for any reason, or we do not have the option to report an emergency involving separation, it is necessary to rely on own forces. Every soldier who gets separated, has a  body armour, weapon, map or GPS and a  kit with essential equipment containing basic supply of water and food. If they use it up, they have a  mechanical filter, chemicals for water treatment and protein bars. Only when they would consume all of that, or would not have it at all, they have to know what improvised means to use to get water and food in the first place and what you can use to orient yourself in an unknown landscape. Of course they will suffer during separation, use their body fats, but they will survive.‘But it is necessary for them to have an idea of what they can find in the area, which plant or herb holds vitamins, especially vitamin C, and indeed has some nutrition value. It should also have enough saccharides and some volume of water too, if possible. And that

is exactly the information they would get in our course. For example, you can find papaya, adromischus, melons and lemon trees in the nature. Fluid can be obtained from agave, plus there is a multitude of cacti here. There is naturally a big difference between those fruits in the rains and in the dry season. Of course, it is more complicated in the dry season. In such case, I would recommend to dig out peanuts for instance, because they contain a  large amount of oil, so they would provide protein and energy. The key principle here is not to spend more energy on getting food than we can obtain from it,’ MSG J. Š. advises. ‘Soldiers naturally have to have a good familiarity with the plant, not just because they could get poisoned – some plants may cause diarrhoea for instance. The ensuing dehydration is very serious. In case of cacti, it is necessary to extract pulp and chew it up. Only the juice is swallowed; the fibre could cause digestion problems.’

Water over goldBut first and foremost, it is essential to obtain water, which represents the very essence of survival. This is particularly hard in Mali. The soldiers have the best chance at survival if they find themselves in the Niger river area, plus the river also represents an important landmark. Water in the Niger river is nevertheless contaminated, so it has to be treated, subjected to mechanical and chemical filtration. At day, it can be solarised for those purposes. But all of that bears a certain risk. The best way of treating water is boiling it. This, however depends on whether the warrior has enough time to do that and whether they have fire.If the GPS fails, or it runs out of power, soldiers have no choice but to use the emergency navigation. At day, that mostly involves the position of the sun in combination with time. At night, the prominent orientation point is the North Star. One can also use the rotation of the starry sky. On every trip outside the camp, soldiers should have very well read their position in advance, then they use a  whole range of prominent landmarks for their orientation.

Broad spectrum of sera“In such an emergency, protection is also important, not only against the opponent or big predators. There is gamut of additional threats lurking in Mali, with a  very specific flora and fauna. What you can encounter is a  high quantity of vipers, mambas, boigas, spitting cobras, scorpions, various species of spiders that do not hold so much venom, but they can cause inflammation. There is a half-inch beetle that can cause an allergic reaction if swatted on skin, as it has a  venomous substance in its glands,’ Master Sergeant J. Š. cautions. ‘As I  already mentioned, there are

also some poisonous plants. If you want to sit down or even lie down in the open, it is essential to inspect the place thoroughly first. There are snakes living here with various types of toxins, including neurotoxins, cardio toxic, hemotoxic and cytotoxic venom. The last one attacks the tissue and it then starts to expand.’In case of a snakebite, soldiers should remain calm, fix the extremity, sanitise the bite point, lightly swath it with bandage, so that two fingers still fit underneath. ‘If we would strangulate the wound as we were used to before, we would run into trouble. We need for the venom to spread in the given area,

but under control. Our advantage is that there is a Role 2 medical facility in the camp and it holds quite a broad spectrum of sera, which we could administer subsequently,’ MSG J.Š. adds.The rules of engaging with the locals may also play a role in such instances. Soldiers should be forthcoming, but not overly, because local people tend to abuse excessive obligingness. So it is useful to exercise a sort of a professional approach, smiles, no aggressive gestures. Contrarily to other coalition soldiers, the servicemembers of our contingent are strictly prohibited from handing out food, sweets or giveaways. That is because people would get used to it, demand it and soldiers would find it difficult to perform their operational assignment.For Europeans, Mali is a  very unusual environment. So, the S.E.R.E. training has its specificities in order for the warriors to be ready to perform relevant procedures in an emergency.

By Vladimír Marek

In February this year, Filip Říha resigned from the position of Deputy Minister of Defence for the Management of the Armaments and the Acquisition Division. The position of Deputy Minister and Head of Division was taken over by Lubor Koudelka. Among other things, we asked him about the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the acquisition of new military equipment.

Investment in the future of the country

We spoke to the Deputy Defence Minister for the Management of the Armaments and Acquisition Division Lubor Koudelka not only about the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the acquisition of new military equipment

We live in a  time when the supply of goods usually significantly exceeds the demand. For many people, shopping has become a  hobby. How much different from the usual shopping is the acquisition of weapons systems for the army and buys as such in the Ministry of Defence?Above all, we have a  number of given rules, whether laws at the level of the Czech Republic or regulations at the level of the European Commission. All this forms a kind of framework for setting the principles for the acquisition of military materiel. The most important is, of course, the Public Procurement Law. One part of it is directly devoted to the purchase of materiel in the field of defence and security. In addition, there are internal DoD norms that set these procedures in even greater detail. As for the Law on Public Procurement, in some cases it is not very friendly for users, it means also for us. We would particularly welcome softer rules for the defence and security market, so that in some cases the purchase of materiel could be speeded up.

So the planned amendment to this law is something that should help you in public tenders in the future?Actually, a  technical amendment is being prepared, to which we have sent our comments to the Ministry of Regional Development. One of our comments was accepted after several rounds of negotiations. It concerns the procurement of services related to sophisticated weapon systems. Namely, service contracts, repairs and upgrades. We want to be able to contact the direct supplier of these services and not have to go through a tender.

When Defence Deputy Říha resigned from office, the Minister of Defence identified external communication as one of the problems that were to be improved in the future. Have you already managed to deal with this matter?This is a  question primarily for members of the Committee on Defence of the Chamber of Deputies. For myself, I think so, and this is how the Minister evaluated it. He communicates very intensively, especially with the mentioned Defence Committee.

Your predecessor resigned in the middle of the biggest acquisitions process. You literally had to get on a very fast train. How did you manage to deal with it and how much did you manage to eliminate the impact of this personnel change on the running of the division?It was a  big challenge for me. It was a  step that I absolutely did not expect. From the very beginning, I  have tried to follow as much as possible the work of Deputy Říha, who did a  great deal of work in the year he held this

position. A number of large projects started, dozens of contracts were concluded. I  still consider the former Defence Deputy Filip Říha to be one of the greatest experts in acquisitions, including the acquisition of materiel in the field of defence and security.We try to focus principally on large, strategic projects that are in various stages of development. They are a priority for both the Minister of Defence and the Chief of General Staff. But as I  mentioned, it was a  challenge for me, the situation was not and is not easy at all. At the same time, however, I would like to say that the support from the Minister, which I  have and I  very much appreciate, is important to me.

With coronavirus came a  significant increase in the government deficit. Did you also have to react to this situation in the area of acquisition plans?Our biggest customer is the Army of the Czech Republic. Ninety-five percent of the acquisitions we make for the Army. The General Staff is the one who pays attention to money for acquisition projects. Of course, we had to make some reductions. There was also a  distribution of funding for some projects. But it did not have any major effects on strategic acquisition projects.

You mentioned that your biggest customer is the Army, or the General Staff of the ACR. How do you evaluate cooperation with it?Over the last year and a half, communication between our division and the user, i.e. the General Staff, has been significantly improved. Communication at both levels, the highest and working one, is very good. The quality of requirement specifications and qualifications has significantly improved. An example of this is the particular specification for a NATO cannon. The qualification on the part of the user was very good and fully acceptable to us.

If less money than expected came into the defence department, would it mean the complete termination of some projects, or would you rather prolong contracts over time and to delay payments?Naturally, our primary effort in such a  case would be to try to extend these projects over time. The cancellation of projects is the last radical solution. This step should only be taken when all options were exhausted and there is no way to continue the project.

Opinions on how quickly and whether the modernization of our army will be completed differ a  lot, despite the reassurances of politicians. How do you perceive this problem, are you more optimistic?Recently, I  noticed a  number of statements by our political leaders, which arouse rather optimism in me. There is a  fairly clear statement that the modernization of the army must continue. This was heard not only from the Prime Minister, but also from the chairmen of the relevant committees of both chambers of parliament and from the Defence Minister. So I  am optimistic in this regard. Investing in defence is investing in the future of this country. Given the security situation, which will certainly not improve in the world, this is something absolutely necessary.

So do you believe that the de-partmental budget for next year will be 1.4 GDP and do you count on it in your plans?In fact, the share in gross domestic product is not so important, especially in period of economic recession. Far more important is the specific amount of the state budget. But I believe that the Alliance’s commitments will be met. The budget for the next year should be 85 milliard crowns, and our acquisition plans are tailored to this.

factsheetLubor Koudelka was born on September 19, 1967, at the town Dvůr Králové upon the Elbe river. After graduating from the Military College of Education Bratislava, he went through a  number of professional foreign courses in the Federal Republic of Germany and Belgium. He participated in UN missions in Liberia and Iraq. He worked as a  military adviser to the Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the UN, the OSCE and other international organizations in Vienna. He later worked in various positions at the Defence Policy and Strategy Division of the Ministry of Defence. In the Armaments and Acquisition Division of the MoD, he held the positions of chief of the Concepts and Analyses Section and director of the Management and Support Department. Since February of this year, he has been the Deputy Minister for Armaments and Acquisitions Division of the Ministry of Defence on the basis of representation command.

How are the prices of weapon systems evolving during the economic crisis, are interesting offers emerging? Is it a good time to buy in?On the one hand, it might seem that financially advantageous offers for the supply of weapons systems will appear on the market. In practice, however, this is not the case. As I mentioned, the security environment in the world is not very favourable. The prices of arms contracts increase by five to ten percent annually. So I doubt that the coronavirus crisis will fundamentally change that. There is no clear connection in this regard.

What causes such an increase in prices, is it due to the deteriorating security situation?The reason will probably be a  really deteriorating security situation. But it is also necessary to realize that weapon systems are becoming more sophisticated from year to year and that human labour is also becoming more expensive. These are all aspects that have an impact on the rising cost of security materiels.

In the case of howitzers for our army, after examining the market, you turned directly to the French manufacturer. How are the negotiations going, will the contract actually be signed by the end of the year?Our ambition is to sign a  contract with the French company Nexter by the end of this year. Of course, it will depend on the course of the negotiations.

Probably a  key acquisition project will be the purchase of new infantry fighting vehicles. What does it currently look like with its completion?We have three potential suppliers left in this project. These are companies: BAE Systems with the CV90 vehicle, Rheinmetall Group with the Lynx combat vehicle, and General Dynamics with the ASCOT vehicle. We are currently communicating intensively with them, asking them to comment on modifying the modalities of this contract. The payments of this project were spread out until 2028 and the deliveries of this equipment until 2027. This was, of course, consulted in advance with the client, with the General Staff that agreed. Earlier, PSM company withdrew from the tender with the Puma infantry fighting vehicle. We have already received answers to this modification and we are continuing intensive communication.

So when do you anticipate that a final contract could be signed?Our ambition is still to sign this agreement by the end of the year. But it will, of course, depend on the course of the negotiations.

This is the largest weapons project in the history of the Czech Republic, so it is very difficult to estimate the exact date.

Are you not afraid that the selective procedure may be attacked in some way and that everything will be delayed?That, of course, is something we cannot rule out. It may be part of a  tactic. In the past, we also witnessed that the unsuccessful distributor filed various proposals and complaints with the Office for the Protection of Competition. These are matters that cannot be avoided even with the best of intentions. We have cases of the purchase of small arms here, and currently we have a tender for multi-purpose helicopters.

For years, anti-aircraft defence need compensation for mobile surface-to-air KUB systems. Do you already know how this matter will be dealt with and when new equipment could be expected?We anticipate that a  final decision, on how this public tender will be implemented, will be made within a  few weeks. There are several options. One of them is government-government purchasing. It should be decided in a few weeks. Even in this case, we assume the signing of the contract by the end of the year, with the proviso that deliveries should be made from 2023.

The acquisitions are not just about big arms purchases. Shortly after taking his office, the Chief of the General Staff came up with projects of

immediate impact focused primarily on the equipment and armament of the individual. What does the implementation of the project look like, will it be fulfilled soon?As for the equipment and armament for ACR soldiers, there was a  significant shift. Contracts for the purchase of small arms were signed with Czech armaments factory Česká zbrojovka. A  contract for body armours was signed with the STV Group. It contains a  delivery of 47,000 pieces of body armour. Furthermore, a  contract is being implemented for the supply of protective helmets and harnesses for equipment. In this respect, the situation is therefore satisfactory, in my opinion. The soldiers will receive new equipment and armament, which is of course very much needed. Years ago, this area was quite neglected, which was fundamentally negatively perceived by end users, i.e. soldiers of our army. In this area, I think that there has been a significant improvement, also in terms of the allocation of funds.

What other acquisition tasks will you address as a  priority in the coming period?As I  mentioned, these will be the four main armaments projects. That is, infantry fighting vehicles, NATO cannon, fire control system, and anti-aircraft system. Certainly, another significant acquisition is the acquisition of modern pick-up vehicles, which should replace the hundreds of obsolete UAZ and Land Rover off-road vehicles.

By Vladimír Marek,

photos: author and the archive of Lubor Koudelka

The mission always ends with the return of the soldiersCzech pilots with JAS-39 Gripen aircraft guarded the airspace of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, from September 1, 2019. Then the task was handed over to the Polish contingent. During that time, Czech fighter pilots made thirteen scramble takeoffs, spending hundreds of hours in the air.

Interview with LTC Pavel Pavlík, TF commander,on the mission in the Baltics

Colonel, please, bring us closer to the Baltic Air Policing mission.The current Baltic Air Police mission has been running since 2004. This means that it has lasted since the date of the Baltic states' accession to NATO. Due to the fact that these countries are relatively small and do not have supersonic aviation, NATO member states take turns in protecting their airspace. NATO aviation currently operates from two bases,

one of which remained in Lithuania – Siauliai, and the other one is in Estonia, at the Ämari base. The rotations are the same, so the Alliance states take turns there, after every four months.

What is the goal of this mission?The purpose of this mission is to ensure the ability to protect the Baltic airspace on 24/7 basis, always with a  pair of aircraft prepared

to take off to identify the target of interest. It is a  peacekeeping mission, not a  combat assignment. The potential quick takeoffs, the so-called Alfa scrambles, cover the interceptions of aircraft that do not comply with standard worldwide rules of traffic in international airspace. In this area, violators are most often military aircraft of the Russian Federation from the Kaliningrad and mainland regions of Russia, flying over the Baltic Sea.

Russian aircraft usually fly in controlled areas over international waters, for which the air traffic control authorities of Baltic states are responsible.

What systems are used to detect a  violator that does not follow the rules?We detect, track, identify, and monitor the movement of objects in the airspace, within the NATINAMDS system (NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence System), which is a  unified system of air and missile defence of the North Atlantic Alliance nations. In the event of a  frontier violation, an aircraft in question or group of aircraft are identified. It can sometimes happen and it happens even in the Czech Republic that there is a  chance failure and the aircraft does not respond, or a  transponder is turned off, in short, the airplane shows non-standard features. If this happens, or the flight plan is missing, communication is missing, we must check it out. It always depends on the given criteria and subsequent evaluation.

If there is an airspace violation, who issues a  take-off order and by what time must the pilots be in the air?The order to take off emergency aircraft is issued by the CAOC, which is the Combined Air Operation Centre, a  multinational command and control centre. When it happens, for example, in the Czech Republic, it is up to us, when in Poland, it is Poland, when in the Baltics; it is one of the states that is currently fulfilling its mission there. We perform our task in the same way as in the Czech Republic. The tool is NATINAMDS. When the siren sounds, we run to the planes to fly towards intruders. We have to be in the air within fixed time standards.

Is it a difficult task, or just an ordinary, standard one?It is, of course, very difficult. It is flying over the sea. The pilot must dress in a  neoprene suit, in which you cannot sit and wait on standby 24/7. But we have procedures for dressing quickly, so while we pilots get dressed, the technicians prepare the plane for takeoff. Then, to put it simply, we get on a plane, turn on the engine, and fly.

Is flying over the Baltic different?Basically not, because the air is the same everywhere, we get used to it even before our arrival, thanks to a  series of briefings, where the ways of flying in given areas are discussed. In terms of the environment, we are in the north, so the weather can play a  substantial role there. We fly over the sea, so unlike in the Czech Republic, we have to wear neoprene overalls, mentioned above. Therefore if some ejection could be necessary, we have the

means how to survive in cold water. Also important for us, this mission has a  second dimension, and that is training. We can train here and fly even at very low altitudes, up to 30 meters above sea level, which of course is not possible in the Czech Republic. Well, to sum it up, we generally learn the specifics of how they work in a given country, how airspace is divided, with whom we communicate, who controls us in space, and last but not least, there are some other things, like chances for further training. Emphasis is also placed on interoperability, i.e. cooperation with partner countries, such as Sweden and Finland. We can agree on joint flights, exercises, but we are also able, in case of need, to support land forces as part of the training. Land forces have been operating there since 2014, together with forward air controllers, as part of the increase in forces.

What did a normal mission day look like?A  normal day looks like that: the team QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) remains at the base, in formation 24/7. They are ready from morning to morning for takeoff. The rest, i.e. the support team, is in charge of repairing aircraft, there is logistic support, i.e. the so-called general logistics, which dealt with food, accommodation, rentals, repairs of means we have with us, or which we borrowed. In addition, contracts with suppliers are being resolved. Of course, everything must be accounted, i.e. all accounts and invoices must be documented. We are soldiers, so all things must have its own authorized items, which are formed by every orders to perform the tasks that I, as the commander, issue together with my staff officers. The Task Force consisted of 70 soldiers, more than half of which were air and technical personnel and the rest took care of support and security, including force protection (armed soldiers who guarded equipment and relevant systems, in accordance with a  security scheme). Some of those systems are naturally classified, and therefore the soldiers pay special attention to security check and all procedures associated with it. The patrol consequently works also in a 24/7 scheme. In fact, we bring a kind of small base with us.

Is it the same also for other states operating in the Baltics?Some states have more logistics, when I  compare it with the British, Poles, or Germans, their numbers are roughly double. They arranged in a different way. We are able to function optimally, perfectly, even with limited numbers of people we have. For that reason, it is not necessary to increase our numbers, maybe in some units, or among some military specialties. We are able to function practically anywhere, even in present numbers, roughly seventy persons.

What was the most tense for you? Can you describe a specific situation?Most tense are evidently the scramble takeoffs. It happened once that during one operational flight, there was a  sudden occurrence of three groups of aircraft with different flight directions, between the Kaliningrad region, Russian region in Poland, and the St. Petersburg region, i.e. the inland part of Russia. So the boys flew, formally they had one engagement, one identification, the task was completed. But in fact, at that time, there was one group, where there were three aircraft, then another group, with two fighters, and finally one transport aircraft. From the point of view of air engagement, there were three identifications in one flight, in a  short time, this, of course, was very challenging and to some extent also interesting from a professional pilot’s point of view. I can add for myself that none of us has ever encountered any aggressive behaviour or provocation.

Is Gripen ready for long flights, overflights, and how can you describe air monitoring in relatively large areas?There is a  huge advantage of great sustainability of this aircraft. Gripen has two pod tanks, so that the deployment time in the air, we call it play time, could be as long as possible. The Gripen is a  very economical aircraft and is capable of flying in this configuration for over two hours. It is therefore able to perform a lot of tasks in one flight.

What are the procedures in case of bad weather? Are there any alternative airports?The weather was sometimes a  bit tricky, it was necessary to calculate what the weather would be like at the airport during landing, or whether it would be necessary to use an alternative airfield. This is practically any airport where you can land safely. Of course, we gave this great weight and importance, in order to be 100% sure of a safe landing. The same goes for at home.

How did you handle service and technical equipment there? Do you have everything you need?The entire contract of fourteen Gripen aircraft, twelve single-seaters and two two-seaters, is a  contract prepared for deployment from a  single base. This means that everything is bought and obtained with regard to the fact that we operate mainly here, in the Czech Republic. When preparing for training or deployment, which is a  long engagement outside our home base, we must carefully plan the sharing of spare parts and ground equipment. It is important to know where and

what we shall have. If some equipment (spare parts, tools), are in one place, transported as a  whole, we arrange transport, for example, to Estonia or home from Estonia, the matter is executed without delay, without any complications. Such transportation was done several times and always it worked as it should. Complications and problems occur when the equipment is deployed in multiple locations. This is what happened once: there were five planes in one place during the mission, the rest was at home.

The last day there was a defect on the fifth plane, which was subsequently unable to take off. Was it a  usual affair, an ordinary failure, or was it an exceptional situation?Operability was excellent, the equipment worked really well. As for defects, every piece of equipment has them from time to time. The probability of a  breakdown during this overflight was one per mille. After landing on the runway of the airport, a defect appeared, so that the aircraft was unable to continue flying. The solution was sought with the help

of Host Nation in Lithuania and with the help of a  base at home, first how to analyse the fault. It was necessary to download data from the plane, bring them home, because everything was already packed, it happened at the end of the mission. It occurred on the very day of departure, when there was nothing left in Estonia, everything was on its way to the Czech Republic. The problem was elegantly solved in cooperation with Lithuania and the Belgians, who helped us with ground equipment, namely with small carriers that could be used, for example, for taking down the missiles. At the moment the airplane data were downloaded for analysis, a  solution plan was immediately created, in fact, within a few hours. It worked great. The fact that the breakdown happened on departure was, of course, unfortunate, it was a  problem, but such things simply happen. It is important to say that thanks to the cooperation between the NATO nations, it was possible to solve the problem, repair the aircraft on the spot, in a few days, and fly back to the Czech Republic. The plane was in the Czech Republic within a week. Definitely, it was not a problem that

would somehow degrade our engagement abroad. On the contrary, there has been great, flawless cooperation within NATO alliance.

What did the mission give you and how did the cooperation with other units look like?I’m incredibly happy with the mission. The whole team was made up of people from several bases, including IT professionals and personnel managers, but also from the people here, at home, as a  remote support. Everything worked great. They were people from the town of Náměšť who prepared containers for the transportation. There was an EOD team, i.e. specialists going on missions to dispose various explosive traps, however, in accordance with security procedures, they were also in charge of inspecting and resolving serious incidents with weapons. Broadly speaking, everyone who was on this mission worked great. For them, the mission came first. I  have thanked everyone several times and I  thank them again It was one, well-functioning team. However, support also came, for example, from the 24th Air Transportation Base Praha-Kbely, which created an air bridge to transport the required materiel. Between the Čáslav Air Base, Czech Republic, and the Ämari Air Base, Estonia, all worked well, despite the fact that the base had a number of other duties, tasks, and the number of personnel and equipment was insufficient. Logistics from Pardubice were in charge of ground operations, transport of containers and equipment. Transport was organized through Poland, the Baltic States, there and back. Last but not least, there also assisted the Joint Operations Centre of MoD (now the Operations Command). The engineering and aviation service also did a  great job. This included Captain Jan Blažek, who was assigned to the position of professional engineer, within the Baltic Air Policing Task Force. Throughout his deployment abroad, but not only there, he demonstrated an exceptionally high level of professional knowledge and practical experience, far beyond the framework required for the performance of the position he held. In order to successfully complete the operational task, he fully understood the meaning of the motto "One team  – one task – one goal." To fulfil the task and prepare as many functional and combat-ready aircraft as possible, without hesitation he worked on repairing aircraft defects, sometimes until late in the evening. He always preferred fulfilling assignments in favour of the Task Force to his private personal interests. And that would be probably all about the team’s activities at the Ämari base in Estonia, and not only just there.

By Michal Voska,

photos: LTC Pavel Pavlík, Jan Kouba

The Malian soldiers emerged from the Casspir armoured vehicle, literally like water froma ruptured dam. Even while running, they mapped the surrounding terrain, as quickly as possible. Each of them tried to take the most advantageous position. While they were fully focused on completing the combat task, a Czech instructor passed through and showed them minor defects.

Ready to passon new skills

A report from the training of Maliansoldiers led by Czech instructors

Our 2nd ACR Task Force EUTM Mali (European Union Training Mission in Mali) has among others also two instructors. Since December 2019, they have become part of the European Union’s  multinational training unit at the Koulikoro Training Centre. Together with their counterparts from the armies of other European countries, they participated in two training courses of the Malian armed forces.

Training course CasspirThe first course was attended by twenty-four members of the Malian mechanized units. They were equipped with Casspir armoured vehicles and that was also the name of

the course. It was an advanced retraining course, both in the use of small arms and tactics. "There are significant differences in experience of Malian soldiers, as it is in other armies. That’s why we had to start with basic skills. First we focused on skills how to handle small arms, then the fire of individuals, followed by the tactics of the unit and finally the live firing with Casspir vehicles. Progress were noticeable for all participants," tells us one of our instructors, Warrant Officer K. H.At the Koulikoro base, there are sometimes problems with the materiel provision, but at the end our instructors managed everything well. The training itself was not fundamentally

different from that one we organize in the Czech Republic at Vyškov. The task was to provide as much information as possible, in the shortest possible time. This is because the course in the Republic of Mali was scheduled only for four weeks. In our country, we have more time for similar courses."In this case, course participants were mostly experienced soldiers, serving for five or six years, they went through several combat deployments. Some of them were even wounded in action. On the other hand, level of their training was different from the one we are used to in our army. So, when we teach them, for example, how to carry out

the planning process, or responses to attacks in conflict, i.e. something that we consider fundamental in our country, but for them it is something new and beneficial," explains another of our instructors, Sergeant First Class M. V.

Teaching tactics and rifle instructionThe greatest care was given to tactics and rifle instruction. The course also included driver training and medical preparation, but this was provided by instructors from other countries. "I’m a  fire instructor, so I  took care of this occupation specialty. My fellow soldier is a  commando instructor, so he focused on tactics. Our indisputable advantage was that even before we got to the instructor positions at Vyškov, we served with the mechanized battalion Tábor," recalls Sergeant First Class M. V. who has been serving as an instructor at Vyškov for five years. He mainly deals with training members of Active Reserve.Despite the relatively little time devoted to training, our instructors tried to take advantage of natural competitiveness of the Malians. During the fire practice, they prepared something for them, which they called "walking shame". They all started with a fire at the same distance, fifty metres. Those who failed to hit a  target took a  few steps forward. There were several persons who got very close to the target. And that was the shame. Therefore, later they tried harder to eliminate their failure.The biggest problem for Malians is timekeeping. They themselves make fun of it, when they say: You have a  clock, but we have time. "They simply do not deal with time, that’s  their nature. For example, when we gave them a  five-minute pause, they arrived in ten minutes, sometimes it was fifteen minutes. It didn’t change

until they found out that we really had something to teach them and thus we gained some authority with them. Then their timekeeping was also improved significantly and they tried to work as hard as possible," explains Sergeant First Class M. V. There was also a problem that they agreed with everything. And even when they did not understand the issues discussed. But this could be applied to all soldiers, also to those we often meet at home. We just suddenly found out that our trainees, course participants, did not understand what we wanted from them. However, over time we have managed to eliminate this problem. The boys worked really well. We also lent them signal equipment, which is

not standard practice, and they surprised us during the manoeuvres. There was excellent cooperation; they communicated perfectly with each other."

Tactics even for policemenThe course for police forces lasted only a  week and took place at the training base of the Malian police base “Ecole de Police”, right in the capital city Bamako. After all, this is the trend of the last months of this training mission. Instructors should get closer to the dislocation points of the soldiers they train. And so they go after them, directly to their home bases. By the time we visited the Koulikoro training camp, there was only one of our instructors, and even he was packed

and headed for his comrade-in-arms to the eastern part of the Republic of Mali."I  don’t think it would be a  problem for us to change the location. On the contrary, it is quite welcome on my part. When we trained police in Bamako, we were accommodated in a  hotel, which of course was more comfortable than here, at the base. On the other hand, there were some complications with our food. We drove to the mess at the mission headquarters. This, of course, took us some time, which we then lacked during training. A  similar problem was posed by training in more remote areas. Road traffic

in Bamako is very problematic at peak times. It took us a long time before we crossed this agglomeration," says Sergeant First Class M. V.Also this police course was aimed at all military services, as the Malian police perform a  wide range of military tasks. The trainees completed training in weapon handling, tactics, topographic preparation, activities at the checkpoint, as well as a  drill how to dispose improvised explosive devices. The teaching of tactics was focused primarily on responding to attacks both in urban areas and beyond. "Their activity is not explicitly a  police job, it also has a  military character. This is due to the heavy workload of the Malian army. The participants of the course told to us that they operated not only in inhabited agglomerations, but also outside them, and often performed the same tasks as the army,” specifies Sergeant First Class M. V.

It is not possible to cook from waterThe instructor himself must, of course, master the knowledge and skills he passes on to others. When you don’t know what you're talking about, the soldiers know it very quickly. It is simply not possible to cook from water. In addition, pedagogical ability or skills are desirable. "Now most of us are going through a  course in pedagogy and psychology. The reason is that we know how to work with the trainees. Not everyone has such inborn abilities. You can be an excellent soldier, but not a good instructor. The mentor must be able to pass on his knowledge," points Sergeant First Class M. V."Personally, I am a calm person. I rarely raise my voice. I do it only when I have to, when I  see that someone is not paying attention. But then all is more effective. They all immediately increase their attention as they know that they have crossed a certain limit," he concludes.

By Vladimír Marek,

photos: author and archive of instructors

On the wings of MiG-21 and JAS-39 GripenHe was one of the two pilots of the generation which had a chance to pilot the MiG-21 aircraft and then the JAS-39 Gripen. Of the two pilots, one has now ended his supersonic fighter pilot career. Lieutenant Colonel Radoslav Matula will not pilot fighter jets in Čáslav anymore, but he is leaving neither the military nor the airfields. From July of this year, he has served as the commander of the Pardubice Airfield Administration. The symbolic baton of the last pilot of both aircraft thus goes to Lieutenant Colonel Michal Daněk.

One last pilot flying both MiG-21s and JAS-39 Gripens remains at the Čáslav AFB

From Bechyně to ČáslavAfter his graduation from the Air College in Košice, Slovakia, in 1990, Lieutenant Colonel Radoslav Matula began his service career as a fighter regiment pilot with Lieutenant’s stars on his shoulder boards at the military unit in Bechyně. During his career, he served in pilots assignments in the 82nd Independent Fighter Squadron in Mošnov and Přerov. In 1995, he was assigned to the nascent 4th Fighter Air Force Base in Čáslav.He progressively flew the L-29 Dolphin, L-39 Albatross and MiG-21, on which he completed nearly 900 hours by 2004. In 2005, he was in the first batch of pilots from Čáslav, who completed the JAS-39 Gripen type training in Sweden, and he logged some 1,200 hours on the aircraft. During his rich military pilot career

LTC Matula logged roughly 2,100 hours on these aircraft, of which about 2,000 hours were on supersonic aircraft.

Thirty years’ differenceUntil the middle of this year, LTC Matula was in command of the prestigious 211th Tactical Squadron. He was replaced in this post by Lieutenant Colonel Michal Daněk, who thus became the last fighter pilot to have flown the MiG-21 and more recently the Gripens. He has also flown all above-mentioned aircraft during his pilot career. His logged flight time is approximately 2,800 hours, of which roughly 2,200 hours on supersonic aircraft.‘There is an obvious thirty years’ difference between both aircraft, both in terms of aerodynamics and avionics and the combat

potential,’ says one of the most experienced pilots from Čáslav AFB, LTC Michal Daněk, on difference between the MiG-21 and JAS-39 aircraft.Although the two airplanes are similar in some characteristics because of the delta wing, they very much differ in equipment and in piloting possibilities. ‘The then MiG consumed up to 80% of concentration on the very control of the airplane and then 20% was left for the practical component with a  minimum of avionics. The pilot thought everything out in his mind and could not do without the support by guidance control officers at command posts,’ LTC Matula compares the two airplanes. Contrarily, the Gripen with the fly-by-wire and advanced avionics helps alleviate the pilot’s  load in favour of tactical situations and supports opportunities of a more independent solution of combat missions with its more advanced weaponry. ‘The miraculous view of the earth’s  sphericity and the almost purple colour of the sky upon reaching the altitude of 20 kilometres with the MiG is nevertheless impossible today with the Gripen because of their lower operational ceiling,’ LTC Matula concluded the comparison of the two types.

By CAPT Hana Havrdová,

photos by Tomáš Soušek and the 21st TAFB

Responding to unexpected situationsIn connection with the withdrawal of Czech service personnel from the Bagram Airfield in the territory of Afghanistan, where the 13th Guard Company served as the last deployment until the end of April earlier this year, a challenging mission came up to provide a successful transport of the Czech Armed Forces servicemembers and materiel back to the territory of the Czech Republic. MOVCON officer of the 20th Czech Armed Forces Task Force, Warrant Officer R. J. and his colleagues were to tackle that task.

Lifting personnel and materiel is a challenging job, says the movement coordinator of the Czech Armed Forces Task Force in Afghanistan, Warrant Officer R. J.

What is the job description of a military professional, who serves as a MOVCON and what does the acronym stand for?MOVCON is an internationally used acronym for Movement Control, meaning a movement coordinator. My primary responsibilities both on foreign operations and in the Czech Republic include the planning and support of transports and movement of materiel, equipment and personnel from point A  to point B. The job is therefore to support the movement of oversize equipment, vehicle convoys or transport of hazardous cargo in the Czech Republic, through planning and realisation of transport of forces to the designated location on a deployed operation or back to homeland. Furthermore, that concerns the movement or transits of foreign forces into or through our homeland territory. That work is not done by one individual, but rather a  team of members of the Military Transport Department of the Logistics Agency of the Ministry of Defence. Here on deployment in the territory of Afghanistan,

I am responsible for the planning, requesting and realisation of domestic and international transports of materiel and personnel.

How long and where have you trained for this position?I  prepared for this position for 12 months ahead of the planned departure for the area of operations, and I  also benefited from the lessons learnt by my colleagues who have already been deployed. Further, I was involved in multinational exercise Capable Logistician 2019 in Poland and exercise Steadfast Flow 2019 in Turkey, which primarily focused on force transport and movement.

Did you complete any courses?So far I  have only completed the basic International Air Transport Association Dangerous Good Regulations (IATA DGR) course, which is organised by the Flight Training Centre in Prague Ruzyně. I am slated to attend a  course to learn how to fully use the Logistics Functional Services (LOGFAS)

application, which is organised in Portugal. In addition, it is useful to complete the ADR course (Accord européen relativ au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route).

What information systems do you work in?On the national level, we plan in the Information System of Logistics (ISL). In the international environment, we plan movements in the Logistic Functional Area Services (LOGFAS) information system, which is a  software product of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), used by the NATO nations.

Is there any substantial difference between your responsibilities in a  foreign operation as opposed what you do as part of MOVCON in the Czech Republic?The responsibilities are basically the same  – I  am up to organising specific movement

or transport. Of course it differs by the location where the missions are realised, and I  also arrange most of the movements on a  deployed operation on my own. From planning and requesting to the very realisation, such as transfer of personnel or materiel among camps in Afghanistan. I only realise international transports in a  foreign operation in conjunction with other involved forces and with colleagues in the Military Transport Department. For example, the current effort to withdraw the 13th Guard Company from BAF involves the Military Transport Department, Chief Logistics Officer of the 13th Guard Company with his team and myself. Back in the Czech Republic, there is always a  team of people engaged in the realisation of transports and movements. For instance during the transit of U.S. Army units via our territory, which received a high media coverage, we supported their crossing of the state border in cooperation with the Military Police, stops on movements and rest overnight in various military garrisons. So, coordinating the parking of twelve convoys with each comprising 30 vehicles in a barracks area so, that it is obvious where each convoy stands, making sure there is a  free passage among them, because there is always a single point of entry and single exit point, plus reflecting fire prevention rules, is not as easy as it may seem at the first sight.

What are the most difficult and challenging activities you are faced with in the performance of this assignment?In this job, it is key to be able to make timely and responsible decisions, react rightly to unexpected situations. It is equally important to be self-reliant in your job.

Have you served as a  MOVCON on a foreign operation? Where and when?It is my third time downrange, but the first time as a MOVCON, as a member of the 20th Czech Armed Forces Task Force Resolute Support Afghanistan. In 2014, I was also here at the Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) as a  team leader of depot specialists and I worked closely with the then MOVCON, Warrant Officer L.M., who is now my colleague. At that time, I  did not know anything about planning air transports, but I  prepared and loaded all materiel and was involved in handling all passenger flights from and into the Czech Republic.

Your job as a MOVCON involves liaising with international colleagues. What language skills do you need to have?My English knowledge is at STANAG SLP 2222. Of course, higher levels naturally come in handy, including in other languages, such as French.

Do you have any interesting experien-ces from your job?There is a gamut of experiences and lessons; it has always been and perhaps also will be fun to do loading on a  railroad. People are diverse, so there is always fun, for example when you load 20 railcars at the railhead, the freight conductor accepts the train, handles it at the station, you drive back to your barracks and after covering 200 kilometres you have phonecall at night that you have to retie the loaded materiel, because another freight conductor will not permit the train to leave the station. Then you get naturally emotional to some extent. In the end, you have no choice but to go there and get the job done. During various movements, including outside the Czech Republic, it is essential to tackle minor as well as bigger challenges, but one always handles that somehow.

What do you learn by serving as a  MOVCON, and how would you like to develop your career in the Czech Armed Forces?I would like to continue to serve in the ranks of the Czech Armed Forces. My current job fulfils me and I enjoy it. There is a lot of work done, often invisible. When you load a  transport of a  unit into Lithuania at the train station, majority of the transported servicemembers do not have a  clue what it is all about. As a  MOVCON, I  also travel a  lot, including outside the Czech Republic. And my plans for the future? I would like to improve my skills, because there is always room to improve, and I want to expand my language skills and specialist abilities.

By 1LT Zdeněk Stavinoha,

photos by the Czech Armed Forces Task Force Afghanistan

Engagement simSubstantially surpassing the MILES, the TES is already used by the Czech Armed Forces

Soldiers of the 71st Mechanised Battalion in Hranice tried out the new Tactical Engagement Simulators (TES) by the SAAB company in the Libavá Military Training Area. The Czech Armed Forces can equip up to 300 soldiers with this system that moreover complies with the NATO standards and is fully compatible with NATO partners’ simulators.

The Libavá MTA became a demonstration area for the most advanced simulation systems the Czech Armed Forces procured from the SAAB company of Sweden for CZK 300 million. ‘The simulator is able to substantially rationalise training both in terms of costs and especially through a realistic simulation of combat acti-vities at various levels,’ Deputy Chief of Staff Operations, Captain David Kremlička, praises the TES. The system works as a set of sensors reading laser signals initiated by firing of the practised ammo. Accuracy and effectiveness of the hit are evaluated, putting the engaged warriors out of action, or designating them as injured. Their condition requires treatment and subsequent evacuation.

Better than a computer gameIt is like regular warfighting, the soldiers praise the sim. ‘It looks like a  computer game, but

the difference is substantial,’ says Private First Class Jan Průša, who was put out of action. ‘Realising that it would mean my definitive end, it is not really a  nice feeling. That is why I  believe training on this engagement simulator will force me even more to follow the trained drills, work more with the others and max it out.’ Soldiers realise they can be hit, and therefore much more carefully consider their tactics and procedures. The great advantage is also the possibility of after action review. When the mission is complete, the warriors can replay everything and evaluate actions by every individual so as to avoid mistakes or to know where to move up a  gear in a  specific phase of training. The TES can be connected to a field power generator, so the commander is able to watch the moves of all individuals in the battlefield live on his display. The colours show the current status – the opponent, injury

or elimination and the like. It approximates reality, the equipment has commonality with engagement simulators on the Pandur APCs as well as similar equipment of the NATO partners.

the soldier’s  body. That was not possible before. Likewise, it is not necessary to carry relatively heavyweight batteries with limited capacity. The TSS lasts roughly 24 hours when fully charged, which allows for longer training events. If the soldier is put out of action, the laser emitter on the weapon deactivates automatically, the system communicates acoustically and the warrior’s  wristwatch vibrates.

Almost unlimited possibilitiesAccording to Mr. Zdeněk Palacký of the Czech Armed Forces Simulation and Trainer technology Centre in Vyškov, the acquisition of the new system is a quantum leap ahead. For example, it took up to half a day to prepare an exercise with the previous MILES system, when it took hours to accoutre every soldier and adjust the technology. ‘The previous system also showed, given the intensity and its use conditions, a relatively high susceptibility to failure. It was neither equipped with a  communication system, nor did it have the GPS to track the position of individual trainees,’ Mr. Palacký said. The expectations are that the TSS will continue to expand in the future. Besides the involvement of the Pandur IFVs, the interconnection with virtual reality is planned as well. All of that has a  single goal: to achieve cutting edge capabilities at a  reasonable cost in a  real environment that simulates combat to a maximum extent.

By Michal Voska

The Czech Armed Forces will use the new infantry simulators to reinforce the training capabilities of the Simulation and Trainer Technology Center (CSTT), which can equip up to 300 soldiers. In cooperation with NATO partners, the Mobile Exercise Control (MobExCon) is able control the training of up to 2,000 servicemembers at a  time. Trainers from the Training Command in Vyškov can connect their simulators to be used virtually by the whole Czech Armed Forces.

Juxtaposing MILESThis simulation system is rightly compared to the MILES systems that the soldiers have known intimately for many years, specifically from 2003, when approximately a  hundred sets were donated to the Czech Armed Forces. Contrarily to the older system, the TES is not only more modern and lighter, but the primary difference is the hit assessment. Soldiers are now aware of bullets swooshing past them, and they know upon receiving a  hit, whether the injury is fatal, or they remain mobile or are immobilised. The system is also able to simulate an exposure to chemical and biological warfare agents. It also has the ability to emulate the effects of hand grenades. Using a  small handheld controller, the instructor may also put out of action the soldiers he thinks are taking poor cover, or make other training mistakes. The instructor may also choose to alert the trainees to the mistakes and simulates the swooshing of bullets in the loudspeaker on

Stressunder controlAlmost five hundred phone calls in the total length of nearly ten thousand minutes. Most frequent topics – fear, panic, anxiety, uncertainty and stress invoked by the current situation in connection with the extraordinary measures introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Military psychologists carry on providing assistance on the psychological assistance line

That is the score of the telephone line run by military psychologists, which was established in March and discontinued in June.Extraordinary measures related to the new coronavirus turned many people’s life upside down in March of this year. We were isolated, many were forced to spend whole days without human contact. Twenty-four hours in distress, fear for oneself and their families and friends, without the slightest indication of when it would all end. Schools and kindergartens were closed overnight, parents had to stay at home. Nobody knew, what would happen and, more importantly, how long this situation would last. Communication was often possible only on the phone or electronically. We all have been through that.

Military modelAt that time, twenty-six psychologists of the Operation Psychology Department of the Military Medicine Agency and four psychologists of the 601st Special Forces Group began to provide assistance and counselling on three lines in shift operation.‘In that instance, we knew that we needed to do something. Everybody was in an abnormal situation, where abnormal reactions are completely normal,’ explains Colonel Helena Sováková, the Chief MoD Psychologists. ‘The

phone lines were active from seven a.m. till midnight. People were mostly interested in how to handle situations when the whole family is quarantined, how to handle panic or fear, how to communicate with kids, how to get calm when they cannot sleep at night.’Military psychologists have sizeable experience with similar crisis situations. They work in teams preparing our service personnel for foreign operational deployments, where they will serve at least six months in countries with an unstable security situation, hundreds of kilometres from home. Many, unfortunately, were in a situation in which their comrades died.‘Czech servicemembers undergo an academic psychological training, plus we also seek to get them under pressure with specific stress situations. They have to know how they will behave in various crisis situations, how their organism will react. That is why our psychologists prepare crisis situations, in which they have to tackle both physical and mental fatigue. For example, they want to know how to handle cabin fever,’ COL Sováková elaborates. ‘The most frequent question in the time of the coronavirus was how not to become claustrophobic at home, when everybody is forced to be together. That is why we used the well-proven military

model of teamwork discipline, regimen, rules, plan and open communication. It works well to divide duties, and make clear who does what. So, our most frequent advice was for every family member to have specific responsibilities they have to fulfil. These basic rules work well not only for soldiers.’

Stress, disease and death of a close oneIt was no exception to entertain topics such as domestic violence, disease or death of the close ones. Most callers were females, and their calls were longer. The age spectrum covered basically all age categories, although a majority of the callers were in the productive age, from 36 through 65 years.‘People from the civilian sphere comprised over ninety percent, the remaining ten percent accounted for military professionals, their families or medics for instance,’ Colonel Sováková recalls. She however adds, that true representation may differ, because the calls were anonymous and the callers did not have to or did not want to reveal specific information.‘What struck me was one of the first conversations, when the caller was a lady with anxiety neurosis and an acute panic attack, in an intense stress state,’ recalls First Lieutenant Ondřej Machút, one of the psychologists who

worked for the line. ‘The first thing was to calm her, so I recommended her to sit down, drink some water and together we performed easing coupled with muscle relaxation. The lady calmed down and clearly got better.’‘The worst thing for me was the communication with an individual in deep depression, a  gentleman on disability pension, who could only see with one eye because of an infection. He was left in an old house practically on his own, without the support of his close ones. I instantly realised from his voice that he was going through a  difficult period and the coronavirus situation only made things worse for him,’ Major Ivana Černá adds her experience with the assistance line.Other military psychologists also encountered similar subjects. The most important task was to calm the callers down and make sure they would get the instant stress and panic under control.‘The ability to realistically assess one’s  possibilities and current situation is a  mark of the human personality’s  maturity. To ask for help at the right time is the first step on the way out of the crisis situation. To know procedures and obtain tools, regain the peace of mind, is the solution of our problems. Get to know oneself, be able to work with one’s  weaknesses and to know where my power rests is the way to handle the most challenging life and professional situations,’ psychologist Sováková explains.

Psychologists continuing to aidAssistance and counselling by military psychologists in the time of the coronavirus pandemic via the military telephone line has proven very well. Therefore, military psychologists have carried on providing the assistance from 1 July 2020. The line is open again to military professionals and defence civilians, their families, war veterans, their families and coordinators, as well as the general public.‘Our effort met with a good response, in four months we provided aid or advice to almost five hundred people, who got into a situation in which they were not able to help themselves. For our psychologists, it is naturally also a big and valuable experience they will certainly make use of in their work. I am therefore glad that the new telephone line activated at the beginning of July, can continue to be useful. Our military psychologists are ready to help anyone who dials the line. Our website also offers a range of information and instructions for people to handle situations they are not able to deal with,’ Chief MoD Psychologist Colonel Sováková concludes.

By Jana Deckerová,

photos by Operational Psychology Department

of the Military Medicine Agency

factsheetMilitary psychological assistance helpline 973 255 145

Helpline active from 8:00 till 17:00Online counselling on the Facebook profile„Psychologové AČR“

Consult the website psychologove.army.cz for more information

Fast Ropeor airdrop with thehelp of thick ropeThe Chrudim paratroopers underwent a retraining course on how to descent from the hovering helicopter, using a special thick rope, called Fast Rope. It is one of their main tasks to master in their airborne training. Fast roping is a technique used to rapidly introduce heliborne personnel into areas that helicopters cannot land.

Chrudim Paras went through a retraining course “Helicopter Rope Suspension Techniques”

The Fast Rope is an alternative to classic rappelling, with the use of rappel seat, safety harness and a figure eight device. This method of insertions and extractions is used in situations when helicopter landings are impractical. It also depends on the nature of the task that the unit performs, drop/pickup variants are selected accordingly. Rappelling or abseil is a slower alternative, especially for the deployment of larger groups of soldiers. Each soldier must tie himself to the rope first, with the help of the eighth device and slide down the rope, on his own. On the ground, he must untie from the rope. Moreover, everyone must have a harness assembly on, which may be incompatible with certain tasks. However, thanks to a safety locking, it is a safer option."At the end of the retraining course, 220 fast ropings were performed in 50 minutes. Insertion via fast roping is preferred over classical rappelling due to its overall efficiency, effectiveness, and ease of installation. Compared to conventional rappelling, where only 50 rappelling was done on a  loose rope in the same time, it is clear that Fast Rope method is about four

times faster,” explains instructor, Warrant Officer Jiří Kupčík, 43rd Airborne Bn.Fast rope is a  4 centimetre rappel line of multiple strands that is approximately 12 to 27 metres long. It is designed to allow fast and safe roping from the helicopter, up to 3 people with fighting load and full equipment (1 person = 150 kg). The rappel rope is attached to the winch of the Mi-171Š helicopter, using a  lifting eye. The soldier grips the rope with both hands at chest level and descends down, then on the ground the unit takes an all-round defence. This method of fast roping is also used by other ACR units, namely the 601st Special Forces Group, the 102nd Reconnaissance Battalion and forward air controllers. Within the Police of the Czech Republic, this method of airdrop, i.e. fast roping, is used by a special police unit of rapid deployment, URNA.At a  retraining course, the instructor first explains and demonstrates how to grasp the rope correctly. "So far you are only wearing a  helmet and gloves, which look like bikers. All rappellers must have helmets and gloves. Now we stand on the JAKUB climbing simulator, on the first platform, it is roughly at a height of 2 meters,” describes

the site Captain Simona Mužátko, one of the Czech women paratroopers. And here’s  the first test, to get on the rope and hold for 20 seconds, then go down. "I repeat, at shoulder height, squeeze, hold on, and let’s  go. The squeezing means that you grasp the rope with your hands, close above you, you make a move, as if you are squeezing the laundry, pulling it to your chest,” she adds.The first "ride" was probably a  little embarrassing for everyone, they didn’t know what to expect. The next test follows in a  moment. In the middle of fast roping, participants must stop for 5 seconds. This moves them to the next platform, and then they reach the third."I admit that the movement on the simulator was worse for me than the fast roping alone. After roping from the third platform, which is about 6 metres high, my hands are burning, but the gloves withstood. And there’s  another part. What we have tried so far, now we do again with the materiel, i.e. fighting load and equipment. So we're going for a ballistic vest, rucksack, of course, assault rifle must not be missing. With such a  load, one gets heavier, you will feel it most lately on the rope. I’m already starting to feel the forearm, my grip is weakening a bit, but the self-preservation instinct will not allow me to ease off," says Captain Mužátko. After a pause and dismantling the materiel, there follows fast roping in a  group. "That means we go one after another. Again, we proceed from the first platform to the third. I have to admit, I enjoy it. And here it is, we put the materiel on, and then go down, one after another.”The following day, the course participants repeated the skills from the previous day,

but this time on a rappel line simulator and at night. In the first phase, no one hesitated, but in the hangar, the light was still on. After turning light off, it is really dark, and therefore the beginning and end of the rope is marked with a  light stick. Initially, it is fast roping without materiel. "I  can only see how the silhouettes of my comrades are gradually disappearing. Finally, it’s  my turn. The most important thing is to hold the rope tight in hand. When there is light, we get on entire harness again, and repeat fast roping with materiel. They all passed," the Captain emphasizes.And here comes the conclusion of retraining and final "live" fast roping. The descent will not be just one, it would be too easy. Participants carry on the fixed procedure. The helicopter still sits on the ground as they write a  methodical preparation. First, there are two “easy” fast ropings without equipment. One is from a height of roughly 5, the other from 10 metres. In the helicopter, the rope is attached a  little lower than on the simulator, yet getting on the rope is not difficult."Get dressed! We hear the order from the instructor. We take vest, rucksack, weapon. The finals are approaching. Again, roping down from two different heights. For me, this is fun, even though 10 metre descend with materiel warmed my hands a lot. It’s like taking a  bowl with boiling soup out of the microwave,“ Captain Simona Mužátko adds at the end.

Text and photos by CAPT Simona Mužátko

A reservistMEPCzech politician, since 2014 Member of the European Parliament (MEP), since 2020 vice-chairman of KDU-ČSL.Prior to that, he worked as a crisis manager and media analyst. He is considered an expert in crisis communication, political marketing and public relations. This is Tomáš Zdechovský, a new member of the Active Reserve, who, among other things, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political communication from the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome.

Tomáš Zdechovský reached the very bottom, but finished successfully

Mr. Zdechovský, could you tell us what led you to enter the AR?I  decided to enter the Active Reserve for several years. A  great motivation for me was the fact that we had three legionnaires in the family, who took part in the fighting against the Hungarians in 1918 and in 1938 were ready to go to defend Czechoslovakia. My father and uncle were even ready to fight the occupants in 1968. My older brother and cousin, who is a  professional soldier, also went through the army. We have respect for the homeland, its defence, it’s our family tradition. When deciding which college or university to attend, I was even accepted to the Military Academy Brno, now called the University of Defence, but at the end I chose another university, which I  repeatedly regretted.

How did you hear about the AR?At Hradec Králové, where I  live, the director of the Regional Military Headquarters is Colonel Filip and the commander of the infantry company of reservists Pavel Kuthan. They both are great patriots, who discussed with me the possibility of serving the homeland as a member of the Active Reserve and inspired me to serve in the AR. So I sent an application, and then it went very fast. After I  was accepted, I  was just looking for a suitable term.

What did the basic training course give you, and what did it take?I  learned humility and endurance. If we wanted to survive, we had to pull together, otherwise we wouldn’t all be able to do

it. And I  also found out that our whole life would fit in one backpack. I  wonder how I  shall teach this to my children and wife when we go on vacation. And what took it away from me? Probably the most important thing was 14 kg of my weight (laughs).

Did you reach the bottom or was the training less demanding than you expected? Due to anti-coronavirus measures, the training was only three weeks long and took place on a 24/7 schedule, which means that it was incredibly intensive. Among the other trainees, with my age of 40, I was the oldest amongst menfolk and many times I  really wondered if it wouldn’t have been better to join the army 20 years ago, because now I’m rather old. After the first week or so, I wanted to quit. Then I got on with it and completed the training successfully. And I’m proud of myself for that. I  had great comrades there and I was quite supported by my team-mate Petra, who was two years older, with whom we encouraged each other.

How did others react to the fact that they had the MEP among themselves?Even many instructors did not know that I was a member of European Parliament, I did not want any preference. When someone knew who I  was, I  was either joking that I was just a thinner cousin, or we agreed that they kept it to themselves. It was completely revealed at the end, during a comprehensive training, when everyone already knew me and they knew I  wasn’t playing anything, that even my head was shaved clean, just like

everyone else, even though I  had originally arrived with a short haircut that was allowed. I was simply one of them, and many people subsequently appreciated it.

How many of you took the course and how many completed it?I  don’t know the exact numbers, but about a  third of the people did not finish it. It was even half of our section. Many people dropped out, especially physically, from various injuries.

What was the most difficult thing for you?The state when you don’t think and just obey orders that sometimes didn’t make sense, but you had to carry them out. Even this was one of the reasons I  thought I  couldn’t do it. Yes, we got up at 0430hrs and went to morning exercises at 0515hrs, even though there was a night watch before. There were hard times when, for example, we had to run

factsheetMgr. et Mgr. et Mgr. Tomáš ZdechovskýHe graduated from the grammar school at town Ledeč over the Sázava river, and then he earned the master’s  degree, in the field of pastoral-social assistant and a  leisure-time teacher, at the Faculty of Theology of the University of South Bohemia České Budějovice. In addition, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political communication from the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome and he has a master’s degree in media studies and journalism at Masaryk University Brno. In 2001, he co-organized an event prepared by the Catholic Youth Association to honour the memory of Josef Toufar, martyr priest, tortured by the communists in 1950. He is married and has four children.

in the rain while carrying a comrade-in-arms on a stretcher, who felt sick, and at the same time to have an assault rifle, large backpack and equipment. Or, we used to do about 500 push-ups per day, and so on. But the worst were mentioned illogical orders. It really was a huge lesson for me and I am grateful for it.

Did you want to end it then?Yes, I  must openly admit that after six days I  wanted to end it. But it’s  just part of the training  – to grid your teeth and stand out to it.

Is employing weapons, for example, more difficult for you as a  Christian, or do you have a  positive attitude towards weaponries?I've been used to shooting since I was a kid and I  like it. I  am also an active hunter. So the only difference is that now I  don’t shoot everything that moves, but I  think more about it. My father always taught

me that guns don’t kill, but people kill. Even a Christian should be able to defend himself.

After all this, did you change your view of the army, soldiers, in a way?My view has always been very positive, because as I said, we had and still have a lot of soldiers in the family. But now I  value everyone even more than before. I met many who had served in missions. And I lift my hat to them and their work.

How do you combine your parliamen-tary mandate with the AR?I  already have a  position and I  want to continue at the Regional Military Headquarters, where I  will help with the recruitment of new people and their preparation. I  shall have the rank of lieutenant. I do not finish with politics, but it will be necessary to harmonize both two activities. It is definitely possible.

Do you recommend entering the basic training course to others? For example, to your fellow party members?I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is just thinking about it. Personally, I try to inspire my assistants and their partners to join the Active Reserve. Many party members are already in the Active Reserve and I  firmly believe that my story inspires others as well. The Active Reserve are a great opportunity to recruit into the army people with interesting vocations, who are enthusiastic and want to help the Czech Republic with its defence.

Prepared by Michal Voska,

photos: archive of Tomáš Zdechovský

Warrant Officer 3rd Class Luděk ZemanSergeant Petr Valeš

Twenty-five years ago, two of our soldiers died during a Croatian attack on the separatist Republic of Serbian Krajina, others were wounded

Death came in the midst of the Storm

“Of the four years that UNPROFOR has existed, the worst time was the last three days. It started with Orange Alert, about a week ago. When I  went to watch the news on TV, the alarm sounded. Croatian troops were heading for us. Red Alert began. We had to take all-round defence. That day, fierce fighting started at all UN posts. The hardest fights were in locations Repetitor, Bunič, Dabar and Kuzmač. Our UN post was also under fire, because on Bunič post, there is a  Serbian command, and our post is right next to it. Bunič and Repetitor posts were reported to be under fire from all sides. Fifteen artillery shells hit them in ten minutes. The residential unit and kitchen were demolished."These words were written twenty-five years ago, in August 1995, by one of our UNPROFOR soldiers to his family in the Czech Republic. It was only a few tens of hours after two of our soldiers were killed and several others were

Luděk Zeman (second from left)

Sergeant Petr Valeš

died in the Balkans

during Operation

Storm

wounded during the Croatian raid on August 5, 1995, at Repetitor post.After the disintegration of Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic had a  unit of about five hundred soldiers in the UNCRO mission. The year 1995 could be characterized as peace before the storm. All indications showed that Croatia was not going to accept the existence of the so-called Republic of Serbian Krajina. At the beginning of the summer, the situation worsened significantly. The Croats were preparing an attack on Serbian positions. On Thursday, August 3, an order was delivered to Tango 23 post, where Sergeant Petr Valeš and Warrant Officer 3rd Class Luděk Zeman served, together with other Czech soldiers. It was an order to increase the number of duties at observation posts. It was a  leave season, so from the original platoon under the command of the then First Lieutenant Jaromír Alan (now Major General) there were only about fifteen soldiers. After twenty-four hours later, the highest alert signal, Red Alert, was announced.At that time, Croatian troops already opened Operation Storm. At noon, a  group of about thirty Croatian soldiers, supported by several tanks, overran Tango 23 post. The Serbs responded with intense mortar fire. The battle broke out over a  strategically advantageous position, located at the altitude of about twelve hundred metres above sea level, from which it was possible to see up to a distance of twenty thirty kilometres, with good visibility."Our position was a  demarcation line. The Serbs were separated from the Croats by some kilometre strip of no man’s  land. We had only light infantry armament, i.e. small arms, machine guns and anti-tank grenade launchers. We were allowed to use them only for our own defence. And then we were ordered to retreat to an improvised bunker. It was hardened shelter, our soldiers built it from a  container, which was reinforced with logs, then covered with stones and clay," recalled these moments Warrant Officer 3rd Class Vladimír Osvald. "When first Croatian reconnaissance troops approached us, they asked us not to resist, allegedly they just wanted to cross our territory. All around us, there was a mountainous, rugged terrain, and it was practically impossible for the Croats to cross sections like this with tanks. And so they decided to make their way on an access path, directly to us."The Czech soldiers had no choice but to monitor the situation and report to the battalion headquarters how the Croats were proceeding and what had been destroyed by the shots. Their post also was also hit. The kitchen, commander’s room, and water tanks, all were demolished. Some other objects were damaged.“We learned from a  radio that in other sections there is no longer fighting, they are relatively calm. But in our post, there were

still explosions," described the situation First Lieutenant Milan Nechvátal, platoon 2IC.At nine o'clock in the evening, the situation finally calmed down a bit. Everyone believed that they were out of the worst. Nevertheless, they continued to monitor the situation. They took turns at the observation post after an hour. On Saturday, August 5, early in the morning, Petr Valeš entered the duty. He called Luděk Zeman to come down from the observation post, because he was going to replace him. And at that very moment, several Croats attacked the site of our soldiers. Apparently, the Croats wanted to hide there."I was sitting with two other comrades right at the exit of the bunker. From outside we heard some voices. We decided to find out what was going on. But as soon as we ran out, a mortar grenade hit our bunker directly. I  felt a blow to my thigh. At first I  thought a  bounced stone hit me. I tried to get back to bunker, as quickly as possible. But the explosion cut off the electricity supply, it was dark all around. It wasn’t until the boys brought the flashlight

that I  realized I  had shrapnel in my thigh," told us after years Sergeant First Class Roman Čelanský.Other soldiers also suffered from wounds. Sergeant Jiří Suda was hit in the back. Sergeant Jiří Hubáček had wounded leg and arm. When the soldiers took his helmet off, he found that he had been born a second time. He had a fist-sized hole in it. Luděk Zeman and Petr Valeš were affected by this blast the most. The first one had his leg torn off. The extent of his wounds was virtually incompatible with life. Even in the case of qualified medical assistance on the spot, it would be probably difficult to save him. Petr Valeš lost his arm. He had another serious wound in the back area. There was a lot of blood everywhere. He was in terrible pain. Unfortunately, the unit did not have an ampoule of morphine to alleviate his suffering. So the soldiers at least tried to stop the heavy bleeding. They immediately reported the matter to headquarters, asking for medical help.“An armoured personnel carrier with a  surgeon, who came to help him, was detained by Serbs. Fighting was still raging. Finally, after long discussions, they let the surgeon go. But he had to continue on foot. At the end, the headquarters decided that not only the wounded, but also other soldiers would be withdrawn. "There were a  lot of mines all around. One of the drivers managed to put into operation an armoured personnel carrier, which drove in front of us. We followed its tracks. We realized that something could explode at any moment. It was an endless mad mile. In the end, however, we got to the headquarters in good health. That is, except for our two great friends,” adds First Lieutenant Michal Nechvátal in conclusion.Every year at Rožmitál, the Šumava Mountains, their friends,

comrades-in-arms, and family members, commemorate the

anniversary of the tragic deaths of Sergeant Petr Valeš and

Warrant Officer 3rd Class Luděk Zeman.

By Vladimír Marek,

photos: author and archive of our UNPROFOR unit