SOLDIERS from five NATO countries will come to Slovakia in October to participate in the Ground Pepper 2014 military training, the TASR newswire reported on September 16.
“The unplanned trainings, to the extent in which we are carrying them out this year, are new to our armed forces,” said Defence Minister Martin Glváč, who initiated the idea, as quoted by TASR. “We consider it the best way to reveal deficiencies and also improve ourselves. It is also proof that we can promptly respond to the changes in the security environment and that we fulfil the promise that we declared – that our soldiers will train more.”
The exercises will take place in military training areas in Lešť (Banská Bystrica Region) and Kamenica nad Cirochou (Prešov Region). In addition to Slovaks, soldiers from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and the US will also take part, while members of the Allied Joint Force Command in Brunssum will attend as observers, TASR wrote.
In this respect, Glváč stressed it is important that Slovak soldiers train with their colleagues from other NATO countries since this will allow them to harmonise their capabilities and exchange their experiences.
“It is also important that we have something to offer to the Alliance and that our top training areas facilitate the exercise to such an extent,” the minister stressed, as quoted by TASR.
The Ground Pepper 2014 training will focus on combined joint combat operations focused on protecting the territorial integrity of one of the NATO members. It will assess individual NATO members’ preparedness for contributing to the collective defence.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
