On the 100th anniversary of the General Staff´s establishment, the Czech army organized several events. Among other things, a panel exhibition mapping the history of the General Staff was launched. Furthermore, the General Staff presented its military equipment.
In the morning, dozens of current and former commanders of the Czech Armed Forces gathered at Army House in Prague. President Zeman, who gave a speech at the event, spoke in favor of higher investment in the Czech military and appreciated the planned establishment of the drone battalion.
According to Defense Minister Lubomír Metnar, the army will set up the drone battalion at the beginning of 2020. Chief of the General Staff Aleš Opata said that the battalion will develop gradually as the focus will primarily be on miniature drones. Currently, the Czech army uses drones mainly in foreign missions in Afghanistan and Mali. The newly established battalion will centralize the use of drones into one unit. In the future, the General Staff also plans to purchase combat drones.
Speaking at the gathering at Army House in Prague, PM Andrej Babiš stated that the Czech Republic has great soldiers but has to speed up the armament of the army. “The situation in the world requires massive armament and recruitment of more soldiers,” he added.
Furthermore, President of the Senate Jaroslav Kubera appreciated how fast the Czechoslovak, and later the Czech, army managed to engage in international military missions after the revolution in 1989. “Our soldiers have a very good reputation in the world,” he said.
