“Slovak Shield 2025” (SLSD25) – the largest multinational military exercise of the year in Slovakia – ended with the final exercise on May 26 at the Lešť military training area. The aim of the exercise was to test the capabilities and operational readiness of the Slovakian armed forces and of NATO-partners to defend the territorial integrity of the country under realistic conditions.
The President of the Slovak Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Peter Pellegrini, Minister of Defense Robert Kaliňák, Chief of the General Staff General Daniel Zmeko and other representatives from politics and the military took part in the high-ranking closing event.
“This exercise is just the tip of the iceberg,” explained Kaliňák. “Behind the success are many years of preparation and intensive coordination between all partners involved. ‘SLSD25’ has shown how important communication between commands and nations is in order to carry out joint operations.” The Lešť military training area proved to be one of the leading training facilities in the NATO area.
Two phases – one goal: defense
“SLSD25” combined a two-stage Battle Staff Training Exercise (BSTX) with a Field Training Exercise (FLX). Phase 1 focused on border protection and surveillance. Phase 2 simulated defense in the rear area – including delaying action, position expansion and defense against reconnaissance and combat drones.
President Pellegrini expressed his satisfaction: “We are seeing real progress in the modernization of our armed forces. It is crucial that our army is prepared for the challenges of the future.” It must be equipped with the most modern systems available in order to defend Slovakia’s territorial integrity at all times and also be ready for action in the event of a disaster.
Over 1,100 soldiers, state-of-the-art technology
A total of 1,179 soldiers from seven NATO and partner countries took part in “SLSD25” – including the Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Spain, the USA and the host country Slovakia. Around 290 combat vehicles and weapon systems were deployed, including F-16 Block 70 jets, UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, Zuzana-2 self-propelled howitzers, Spike LR2 anti-tank missiles, Pandur infantry fighting vehicles and new K2 Black Panther main battle tanks from the Polish army (-> Poland: Delivery of the K2 main battle tanks is in full swing).
Chief of General Staff Daniel Zmeko emphasized that AI-controlled reconnaissance and combat drones from the Slovakian defence industry were also used for the first time in “SLSD25” – in some cases even in the prototype phase: “In addition to tactical training, we were also able to carry out technological experiments – a first in our history.”
Here for more news about the Slovakian armed forces.
