Author: Petr Prouza|Caption: Bahna 2018
On 22nd June 2019, the 30th year of Land Forces Day will take place near Strašice by Rokycany in Western Bohemia. The program will offer presentation of modern and historical military vehicles, armaments and equipments. Like every year, it also includes historical battle re-enctment inspired by World War II. About 1,000 soldiers and several hundred other participants, police, firefighters, prison service, military police and re-enactors from historical associations will take part, with several hundred pieces of modern and historical vehicles. They will come, besides the Czech Republic, from Austria, Slovakia and the US.
Program:
- 9:00 Land Forces exhibition performance
- 9:15 Promenade concert of military music
- 9:45 Land Forces exhibition performance
- 10:00 Opening ceremony, salute by howitzers
- 10:40 Defilé of historical vehicles
- 11:15 Defilé of the Army of the Czech Republic
- 11:45 Defilé of the foreign armies
- 11:55 1st Historical Demonstration – Outbreak of WW2 - Poland 1939
- 12:20 Demonstration of the Fire and Rescue Corps
- 12:45 2nd Historical Demonstration - Dukla 1944
- 13:30 Czech Army demonstration
- 14:30 Czech Police demonstration
- 14:50 Defilé of the companies
- 15:10 Driving properties, the tracks
- 15:40 13th Artillery Regiment demonstration
Change of program reserved
The main dynamic demonstration will be directed by the Czech Army. It will mainly involve members of the 7th Mechanized Brigade in cooperation with combat support units. There will be 26 combat vehicles, two airplanes and two helicopters taking part in the operation.
According to Major General Josef Kopecký, Land Forces Commander, the participation of the Czech Army at the event is part of the training of its troops which are designated for foreign deployment or NATO and EU response forces. Among Czech Army’s vehicle the visitory will see main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armoured personnel carriers and light armoured vehicles.
See also: The Czech Land Forces Day – Bahna 2018
The organizers also promiss several surprises such as “tank ballet” with My Country symphonic opem by Bedřich Smetana.
The re-enactment, military history, program will include two dynamic shows. The first one, starting at 11:55, is inspired by the German ambush of the Gliwice radio station, the very start of the war. The second show, starting at 12:45, will focus on the Dukla operation from 1944, during which the soldiers of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps entered the territory of pre-war Czechoslovakia for the first time. There will be 14 tanks and other historical vehicles used for this demonstration.
See also: Bahna 2018: 500 military vehicles
The Austrian army will present its Ulan Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which is a variant of the ASCOD. The Slovak Army will also bring an IFV, the modernized BVP-M together with the reconnaissance combat vehicle BPsV. The US Army will come with its Stryker armoured combat vehicles.
The entrance is free.
Facebook event.