The Czech government plans to accelerate the strengthening of air defense and the recruitment of new military personnel. This was stated today by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš after a meeting with Defense Minister Jaromír Zuna, where a new concept for the development of the army currently under preparation was discussed, UNN reports with reference to Radio Prague.
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The Czech Prime Minister also noted that, most likely, this year the Czech Republic will again fail to reach the level of the commitment made to NATO to allocate 2% of GDP to defense. Andrej Babiš intends to discuss this issue at the July NATO summit in Ankara.
In April, after a meeting in Prague with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Babiš stated that the Czech government would do everything possible to fulfill this commitment. Starting from 2025, all allies are required to direct at least 2% of their GDP to defense.
The Czech Prime Minister reported that the army is counting on the further development of air defense. He recalled the acquisition of the Israeli SPYDER system and specified that in addition to the two batteries already delivered, two more are expected to arrive, and the government wants to purchase an additional four new SPYDER systems.
The Czech Prime Minister also discussed anti-drone defense and the personnel situation in the armed forces with the Defense Minister. Babiš, in his own words, does not like the army's proposal regarding the pace of increasing the number of soldiers: he believes that the state should recruit at least 2,000 military personnel. At the same time, the Prime Minister wants to know the reasons for soldiers leaving the service. "In short, we must create conditions so that our soldiers do not leave the army," Babiš emphasized.