Czech Defence News of the Week (14 – 21 September 2018)

Author: Michal Voska, army.cz|Caption: SHIELD 2/2018 exercise

Prime Ministers of Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia did not embrace the European Commission’s proposal to increase funding of Frontex - Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček (ČSSD) asked the Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) to nominate Tomáš Petříček (ČSSD) to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs - New technology has arrived at Helicopter Training Point Ostrava - Prague Security Studies Institute together with the National Cyber and Information Security Agency held a public debate entitled Cyber Warfare in the 21st Century - The celebration of the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia will run for an entire month in Prague, starting on 28th September and culminating on 28th October - The 6th European Congress of Aerospace Medicine (ECAM) organized by European Society of Aerospace Medicine (ESAM) was held during 20th-23rd September - The 11th Guard Company at Bagram Airfield was certified for its Afghan deployement.

• Prime Ministers of Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia did not embrace the European Commission’s proposal to advance Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency). During a joint session of the Czech and Slovak governments held on 17th September, the Prime Ministers of both countries said that additional funds for the Agency would be superfluous. Instead, they proposed to allocate more financial means to the external border states: Italy, Greece, Malta, Spain and Portugal. The Czech and Slovak Prime Ministers also discussed defence modernisation projects and talked about increasing cooperation between the armed forces. Andrej Babiš said that both countries would participate in tenders together, and also purchase armaments from each other.

See also: Czech and Slovak Army – mutual support and cooperation

• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (and Minister of Interior) Jan Hamáček (ČSSD) who leads the Social Democrats in the governing coalition asked the Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) to nominate Tomáš Petříček (ČSSD) to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Petříček is currently a deputy minister and he is a former assistant of MEP Miroslav Poche, originally nominated to the ministry, and rejected by the President Miloš Zeman earlier this year. The appointment of Petříček was met with skepticism by the opposition due to his lack of „political authority.“ Miloš Zeman apparently agreed to appoint Petříček.

• New technology has arrived at Helicopter Training Point Ostrava: the dual full-crew simulator facility is the show piece of the company’s newly opened tactical centre for helicopter crews. A wide range of threats can be simulated to push the crews to their limits. The tactical training will consist of three main parts: mission planning using adequate planning cells and tools; mission execution with actual missions flown in the simulator, and mission de-briefing using a dedicated communications playback capability.

See also: HTP Ostrava introduces brand-new tactical helicopter simulator

• On 20th September the Prague Security Studies Institute together with the National Cyber and Information Security Agency held a public debate entitled Cyber Warfare in the 21st Century. The event was supported by the U.S. and British Embassies in Prague. The speaker, David Vanable, discussed how the development and dissemination of cyber weapons have changed the nature of modern geopolitical conflict.

See also: Public Debate - Cyber Warfare in the 21st Century

• The celebration of the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia will run for an entire month in Prague, starting on 28th September and culminating on 28th October with the reopening of the National Museum in Prague. Celebrations are conceived as a festival in the streets with exhibitions, concerts, theater and stage shows, happenings, and many other events. All the events associated with the national celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia in Prague are available on the website czechandslovakcentury.com. The Army is preparing a military parade for the 28th October, with 2200 servicemen, 236 vehicles and aircraft of the Czech Army, of the Integrated Rescue System, Customs Administration and Municipal Police.

• The 6th European Congress of Aerospace Medicine (ECAM) organized by European Society of Aerospace Medicine (ESAM) was held during 20th-23rd September at National House of Vinohrady, Prague.

• The 11th Guard Company at Bagram Airfield was certified for its Afghan deployment during the SHIELD 2/2018 exercise held in the military region Březina. In the following weeks the 11th Company will relieve the 10th Company which has lost 3 soldiers durign the August suicide attack by Taliban.

See also: Current Foreign Deployments of the Czech Army