Czech Armed Forces recruiting hundreds of new soldiers

Around 9,000 people have registered to join the Czech Armed Forces via a new online recruitment website which was put into operation last September, the Ministry of Defense reported. More than 4,000 of those candidates are applying for professional service. The Czech Army is aiming to increase the number of professional soldiers to 30,000 and have 10,000 soldiers in the active reserve by 2030.

At the beginning of this year there were 27, 800 professional soldiers in the armed forces, but this number also includes about 1,000 military police officers and about 1,500 members of the Military Intelligence Service. In order for the Czech army to reach its set goal of 30, 000 soldiers by 2030, it would need to recruit and train several hundred soldiers a year.