Army chief-of-staff: Collective defense will be more expensive for us all
“More funding, more soldiers and more active reserves” that was the message Czech army commanders sent to politicians and the public in connection with the growing threat of war. The army chief-of-staff said NATO’s new collective defense commitments would necessitate far-reaching changes in the Czech military.
The chief-of-staff of the Czech Armed Forces, Karel Řehka, has been warning for months that the country must prepare for a potential military conflict, but at Tuesday’s meeting of military commanders he was brutally frank about the need to bolster the armed forces and be prepared to pay much more for the country’s security.
"We are facing a critical period. The Czech Republic must be prepared to take its share of responsibility and meet the new collective defense commitments. Next year, NATO defense ministers will approve the Capability Targets 2025 and we already know that they will bring major changes in the quality and scope of defense. I would not hesitate to say that the changes will be revolutionary."
Addressing the army command, Chief-of-Staff Karel Řehka stressed that whatever the army has done up till now to modernize its weapons arsenal and troops, is no longer enough and both the political elite and Czech society must recognize this pressing new priority.
The new alliance objectives, he said, are in line with domestic priorities, be it in air defence, logistics or support for deployed forces. But the pace of modernization of the Czech army must be speeded up. What was acceptable until today, is no longer so, Řehka stressed. Russia, he said, had shifted at least partially to a war economy and security threats were evolving too quickly. Not only will the new Donald Trump administration push for Europe to pay more for its defense, it is in Europe’s own interest to take greater responsibility for security, the chief-of-staff pointed out.
Earlier this year the Czech government signed an agreement with the United States to acquire 24 U.S. F-35 fighter jets as part of a deal worth CZK 150 billion ($6.6 billion), the biggest single purchase for the Czech military ever. And the army will additionally acquire 14 Leopard 2A4 battle tanks from Germany to strengthen its capabilities, bringing the overall number of these tanks to 42.
However, these investments alone will not be enough, Řehka said. The army will need more top-notch soldiers to operate them and more international training operations will be required.
At present, the Czech army lacks both professional soldiers and active reserves. While the army needs at least 30,000 professional soldiers – ideally 37,000 - it only has 24,000 and getting recruits has proved difficult. There are roughly 7,000 applicants for service each year, but the army recruits only a tiny fraction of them, so recruitment barely covers the departures, many of which are over low salaries.
Řehka considers the lack of professional soldiers in some units to be critical, especially in combat units, which has a direct impact on their combat capability. He added that he will have a draft action plan for recruitment and stabilization of personnel drawn up on behalf of the army in the form of recommendations.
In her address to the assembly, Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová welcomed the fact that the country will spend 2 percent of GDP on defense for the first time this year, but she stressed that given the deficit from past years and the new challenges facing the military, that amount will not be enough in the future. She said that in 2025 around 3 or even 3.5 percent may be needed to cover the army’s needs.
According to the draft budget for 2025, the Defense Ministry should manage CZK 154.4 billion, which is roughly CZK 3.2 billion more than this year. Other chapters of the budget allocate CZK 6.4 billion for defense spending, bringing the total to CZK 160.8 billion in 2025.
The chief commander of the armed forces, President Pavel, who addressed the meeting via a video link from his tour of Australia, said the Czech Republic should spend as much as is necessary to fully secure all the capabilities that the army is supposed to have. "Ensuring security is a prerequisite to ensuring other basic necessities for our society," he noted.
