The Czechs want to modernize the ground forces
The Czechs want to modernize the ground forces.
The Armed Forces of the Czech Republic are planning to enter a new stage of their development, at which it is planned to increase investments related to technical modernization and unification of weapons with the standards of the North Atlantic Alliance. However, although this has only been discussed for many years, the events of recent years in Ukraine and the resulting increased threat to NATO's eastern flank have forced Prague to initiate concrete measures to strengthen the Ozbrojenych síl České republiky. This is evidenced, for example, by the excitement at the IDET defense fair organized every two years, and the rich offer prepared for OSČR by domestic and global manufacturers.
In 2015, in response to the tightening of the international situation in Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic began the process of abandoning a decade-long philosophy of saving on defense spending. If in 2015 it annually spent only 1% of its gross domestic product on defense, then two years ago a plan for a gradual increase in spending was presented. These are not revolutionary changes, but if in the mentioned 2015 the budget was 1,763 billion US dollars, then in 2016 it was already 1,923 billion US dollars (1,04%), although the increase in this amount was mainly due to the growth of the Czech Republic's GDP. This year, this figure increased to 1,08% and amounted to about 2,282 billion US dollars. It is assumed that the upward trend will continue in the coming years and by 2020 the Czech defense budget will reach 1,4% of GDP, or even 2,7 billion US dollars, assuming an average GDP growth of 2% annually (forecasts vary in timing ). depending on the institutions that implement them).
In the long term, the Czechs want to systematically increase their defense budget and ultimately achieve the recommendations of the North Atlantic Alliance, that is, at least 2% of GDP. However, this is a rather distant future, in the perspective of 2030, and today efforts are still being made to implement, for example, plans for the coming years.
A nearly 5000-fold increase in the budget in the coming years means that relatively large sums will become available to spend on technical upgrades, and it is this need that is one of the main reasons for the increase in Czech defense spending. The second is the desire to increase the number of OSChR by 24 additional soldiers to the level of 162 2 jobs, as well as an increase of 5-1800 people. Today, there are XNUMX in active reserves. Both goals require a number of investments, especially in the field of equipment for the ground forces.
New tracked combat vehicles
The basis of the Ground Forces of the OSChR - the Armada of the Czech Republic (ASCH) is currently made up of two brigades, the so-called. "light" (4th Rapid Response Brigade, its backbone consists of three battalions equipped with Kbwp Pandur II and their variants, as well as Iveco LMV vehicles, it additionally includes an airborne battalion) and "heavy" (7th a mechanized brigade with a battalion is equipped with modernized T-72M4CZ tanks and tracked infantry fighting vehicles BVP-2 and two divisions on the BVP-2 and one on the Kbvp Pandur II 8 × 8 and Iveco LMV), as well as an artillery regiment (with two 152-mm vz wheeled howitzers .77 DANA)), not counting several regiments of the security service (engineering, protection against weapons of mass destruction, reconnaissance and electronic warfare) and logistics.
Among combat vehicles, the most worn out and incompatible with the requirements of the modern battlefield are the BVP-2 tracked infantry fighting vehicles and the BPzV reconnaissance combat vehicles based on the BVP-1 used in reconnaissance units. They will be replaced by new vehicles based on a “promising tracked platform”, the start of deliveries of which is scheduled for 2019-2020. There are currently 185 BVP-2s and 168 BVP-1/BPzVs in stock (of which some of the BVP-2s and all of the BVP-1s have been preserved), and they want to buy "over 200" new machines in their place. Approximately US$1,9 billion has been allocated for this program. The new vehicles will be presented in the following variants: an infantry fighting vehicle, a reconnaissance combat vehicle, a command vehicle, an armored personnel carrier, a communication vehicle and a support vehicle - all on the same chassis. As for the terms of the small AČR, this is a huge project that will dominate the technical modernization of this type of troops for many years to come. The official tender procedure will begin in mid-2017 and will end with the selection of the winner and the conclusion of the contract in 2018. One of the prerequisites is at least 30% share of the Czech industry in the production of vehicles. This condition is very clearly formulated and - in today's realities - is beneficial for the supplier. Not surprisingly, numerous domestic and foreign companies compete in the Czech Republic.
