Czech Defence News of the Week (22nd – 29th November 2019)

Caption: AW 139 M by Leonardo

During his visit to Afghanistan Minister of Defence Lubomír Metnar announced the termination of the operation of the Czech Guard Company at the Bagrám Air Base. - On 26th November, Military Intelligence published the Annual Report on its activities for 2018. - Following the announcement by the Ministry of Defence that it would sign contracts for the supply of 12 US helicopters by the end of last year, the Italian company Leonardo filed a complaint against the proceedings of the ministry. - On Friday, 29th November, Colonel Roger Bowman, US Embassy Representative, awarded US Bronze Star in honor of Chief Warrant Officer (OR-9) Tomáš Procházka (KIA).

• During his visit to Afghanistan Minister of Defence Lubomír Metnar announced the termination of the operation of the Guard Company at the Bagrám Air Base. Soldiers should stay there until the end of March. The Czech military in Afghanistan will focus primarily on supporting the training of local forces and the Army plans to send more military doctors to the country. Czech soldiers, together with the Allies, have been in charge of the external security of the base for more than six years. The minister's visit included a commemorative memory of the fallen soldiers in Parwan province.

See also: Foreign deployments: Czech casualties since 1991

• On 26th November, Military Intelligence published the Annual Report on its activities for 2018. The 15th Public Annual Report of Military Intelligence changed its concept and now focuses only on selekted issues which it considers to be key in the future. The annual report thus focuses on the development of missile assets of selekted states and cyber threats. “In its annual public report, Military Intelligence has always tried to bring information from all areas it has dealt with within its remit. However, as the annual reports are usually issued only in the second half of the following year, this information may have been outdated. Therefore, symbolically in the 15th annual public report, it was decided to change its concept and focus on selekted issues that Military Intelligence has long assessed as determining for further global development,” Jan Beroun, Director of Military Intelligence, explained.

• Following the announcement by the Ministry of Defence that it would sign contracts for the supply of 12 US helicopters by the end of last year, the Italian company Leonardo filed a complaint against the proceedings of the ministry. The Italians challenge the possibility of proceeding in the form of an intergovernmental agreement and the fact that they are not included in the tender. This is the third objection raised by this supplier. So far, the ministry has always replied that there has been no choice of helicopter supplier, although since the summer the ministry has reported several times on the choice of Americans, the H-1 system (AH-1Z and UH-1Y). According to Leonardo, however, the proceedings of the Ministry are illegal and non-transparent. There is no scope for proceeding in the form of an intergovernmental agreement and making use of the exemption from the public procurement regime. The purchase does not address any urgent operational need, and there are also more potential suppliers who are able to deliver helicopters of comparable parameters. In addition, the procedure cannot be fulfilled by a government agreement when the selling government is not the actual owner of the helicopters that are still to be manufactured.

See also: Multipurpose Helicopters for the Czech Army - Is the Italian Solution Really Out?

• On Friday, 29th November, Colonel Roger Bowman, US Embassy Representative, awarded US Bronze Star in honor of Chief Warrant Officer (OR-9) Tomáš Procházka who died from wounds after an attack by an Afghan soldier on 22nd October 2018. The ceremony took place in the presence of members of the Center of Military Cynology, military representatives and other guests in the unit in Chotyň. The award was received by the soldier's parents, Mrs. Procházka.