What are the main directions of army modernization, what are the experiences from the acquisition processes of the Czech Army, and how does the army evaluate this year's voluntary military training for high school students? These and other questions were asked in the latest episode of our discussion program CZ DIALOGUES  during an interview with Lieutenant General Miroslav Hlaváč, First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces.  

Video: Interview with the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Miroslav Hlaváč / CZ DEFENCE

General, this year you have been heavily involved in voluntary military training (VMT) for high school students. Did you manage to visit all the units?

I visited all the units where voluntary military training was organized. I saw both the introductory part and the conclusion of the training.

Did you have time to go through some of the activities with the students?

Not really. I was more interested in how the training was going and what our experiences were, because we intend to organize VMT in the coming years and, of course, we don't want to get stuck with something that isn't effective. That was the reason for my visit to the units.

What did this year's voluntary military training suggest for future years?

Firstly, it showed us the enormous interest that we had not originally expected. We had planned for around 500 participants, but due to the huge interest, we took measures to expand the training to 800 participants. We were a little surprised by the huge interest of the younger generation in this training. My observation is that financial reward was not the primary reason, but rather a genuine interest in the army and an interest in learning something new and perhaps even experiencing something new.

Unlike last year, this year's training took place at more units. This means that the standards were not entirely uniform, for example, in terms of accommodation. Some places had dormitories, others had tents. Was this intentional? Or will the trainings continue to evolve in the future within the expertise of the individual units?

As far as accommodation is concerned, it was adapted to the conditions at the units. We should have approximately the same standards for all units in terms of accommodation. I don't think it's good to have participants in voluntary military training accommodated in tents on the one hand and in dormitories at the unit on the other. This accommodation is not exactly what we would like to offer, because the aim of voluntary military training is also to awaken a sense of community. And that cannot be done in a room shared by two or three people.

Is it your intention to develop any specific skills in the participants?

We do not want to develop any specific skills in the voluntary military training for secondary schools. It is primarily training for individuals and the acquisition of basic military skills. This is the same as with other voluntary training courses that we organize within the Military Academy.

Various information is appearing on social media – for example, that voluntary military training for high school students is a precursor to basic military service.

No, that was not our intention when we started preparing this voluntary military training. When we came up with this idea, it definitely had no connection with the introduction of basic military service, and it certainly has nothing to do with it.

Is there a cap on the maximum number of participants?

Next year, we want to stick to a cap of 800 participants in voluntary military training. For us, this seems to be the optimal number, also in view of the capabilities of the units that will be providing security, because their primary task lies elsewhere.

How do you assess the readiness of our army for high-intensity conflicts?

The army's basic task is to prepare to defend the country against external attack. We are taking individual steps to ensure that we are able to fulfill this task. Of course, we identify certain risks and take measures, whether in the area of personnel, modernization of the army, introduction of new weapon systems, and we are changing our defense plans, which we are harmonizing with the Alliance's defense plans, and replenishing our stocks. We have identified risks and are taking measures to eliminate them and be able to fulfill our basic task, which is required of us by law. And I believe that the army will fulfill this task in any situation and with any equipment.

The so-called multi-domain environment is being mentioned more and more often. How is the army preparing to operate in this environment?

In order to meet the requirements and capabilities to operate in a multi-domain environment, measures begin with personnel training. Next is unit training. All the exercises we have already planned are adapted to this. We are also changing the structure of our Operations Command. Of course, this cannot be done overnight. It must be included in the preparation plan and in certain areas, such as acquisitions. We are making changes gradually, gaining experience from our alliance partners who are introducing capabilities to operate in the new multi-domain environment.

What are the weaknesses of the Czech Army? Is it people?

I don't want to talk about weaknesses right now. We have identified risks and are taking measures in the areas of personnel, modernization of the army, and planning.

I would also like to ask you about soldiers in active reserve. Is this still one of the army's priorities?

The need for active reserves is growing. This is also reflected in the fact that we are strengthening the role of the Territorial Command. In our fundamental strategic and significant projects, we also take into account equipment for active reserves. When we purchase equipment for individuals, we always take into account that it will also be used for active reserves. Active reserve units will be equipped almost identically to combat units, which was evident, for example, in the acquisition of artillery for the 13th Artillery Regiment, when we purchased artillery for the active reserve unit that this artillery regiment has.

How do you think young people should be motivated to join the army? Or rather, what about generational change among soldiers?

As far as generational change among soldiers or age composition is concerned, it must be a continuous process and there must be a certain balance between generations. This applies to any organization, and the army is no exception. I believe it must be ongoing. There must be an experienced generation, a middle generation, and, of course, a young generation, so that experience can be passed on and utilized, while at the same time there is the aggressiveness of youth. Young people will operate the weapon systems we are currently introducing, because that is the future, and I think that this is also an opportunity for the younger generation to find employment in the Czech Army.

The modernization of the Czech Army is a much-discussed topic. Which projects will fundamentally change its face?

I would say that these are the strategic and significant projects. I don't want to name them all here, because it may happen that a seemingly small project, costing tens of millions of crowns, could prevent you from implementing one of the strategic and significant projects. For me, the complexity and modernization of the Czech Army and all its branches is important. I think that right now, it is primarily important for us to focus on completing all the projects that we have started and, in some cases, are already implementing.

And has the face of the army changed? I'm thinking, for example, of the use of unmanned aircraft and so on.

The face of the army is changing. It is a new face. Introducing a 21st-century weapon system will, in a way, also influence the tactics, operational activities, and capabilities of the army.

Let me ask you about the CV90 and Leopard tanks. What is the current status of introducing these weapons into the army's arsenal?

Both strategic projects are at a certain stage of introduction and implementation into the army. We have created integrated working teams for this purpose, which have comprehensively prepared plans for the entire acquisition process, including the gradual introduction of these systems into the structure of the Czech Army. These are comprehensive plans that address not only the acquisition process, but everything from personnel training and unit preparation to real estate infrastructure, life cycle security, and, of course, if you have ammunition, you have to purchase ammunition. These are long-term plans. I believe that the way these strategic and important projects are set up will help to ensure that the individual weapon systems are introduced without any problems. They will all work together as a single functional combat unit that will serve to secure the defense of the Czech Republic.

How is the discussion between you as the army and companies in our defense industry going?

We believe that the Czech defense industry is very important from our point of view, not only in the implementation of projects that we have in the pipeline and are ready to launch, or that we are already implementing, but especially from a longer-term perspective – namely sustainability. We need the Czech defense industry. Compared to the past, there has been a significant improvement in contacts, which now take place at various exhibitions or during various industry days. We are primarily in contact with our defense industry through the Industrial Cooperation Section of the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic. I think this is a good approach. Cooperation has begun. There are always ways to improve this cooperation, but I think that the Czech Army, the defense industry, and the entire state have one thing in common: ensuring the defense capability of the Czech Republic.

The army is an apolitical institution, but political support for the modernization projects of the Czech Armed Forces is currently being discussed. Do you feel a stronger will for long-term stability in army funding?

We certainly do. Since Russia's aggression against Ukraine, support for the Czech Army has grown significantly, not only from the population, but also from representatives of the main political parties. I think their leaders understand the importance of ensuring the defense of the Czech Republic. So, compared to the past, there has been a significant shift, which is good.

So, the army does not feel any change in public sentiment?

We have had relatively strong support for a long time, as various surveys show. And we greatly appreciate that. But of course, we must take steps to maintain the trust of our citizens and let them know that they can rely on the army in the event of any crisis.

How successful do you think the army has been in opening up to the majority of society?

In the last four or five years, significant steps have been taken to open up to the public. To explain to them what the army is for and how it works. Obviously, we sometimes tend to close ourselves off in our bubble, but it is a continuous process. We are looking for new ways and new methods of communicating with the public. We are trying to open up so that people perceive us as a state institution that is there for them. A good example is the voluntary military training. The participants in the exercise were surprised at how things work here, how the job is done, and so on. They may have expected something they knew from stories told by their fathers or grandfathers. Then they were surprised by what they went through and that it was diametrically different from what their fathers and grandfathers had experienced.

I have to ask about Capability Targets. Will the army achieve them? Will it fulfill them?

We will do everything we can to fulfill them. We are currently analyzing the Capability Targets 2025 and, of course, based on various factors, we will decide which targets will be prioritized and will begin to be fulfilled first. Thanks to the time frame set for fulfilling the capabilities, I believe that we have sufficient space to be able to fulfill them. Of course, it will depend on the financial resources allocated and the capabilities of the defense industry. And I don't just mean the Czech defense industry, but also the European defense industry, because in crises such as the one we are currently experiencing in Europe and around the world, everyone wants to arm themselves and everyone wants to buy.

Have the Alliance's requirements for the Czech Army changed in any way, or does NATO have any priorities?

The Alliance has increased both its quantitative and qualitative targets in Capability Targets 2025. The Alliance always responds to threats against it by building these capabilities, and these capabilities are determined on the basis of these threats. The most important thing is to build air defense capabilities, and we will certainly have to look at our capabilities in electronic warfare. We will have to look at the capabilities of our territorial forces. But the most important thing now is to complete all the strategic and significant projects that have already been described in Capability Targets 2021.

It may also be because it is no longer just about one heavy brigade that we would use or send to Alliance units, but about the army as a whole.

Of course. We must fulfill tasks for the benefit of the Alliance, but we must also fulfill tasks to ensure the defense of the Czech Republic.

What capabilities do you think our army should develop? Is it air defense, as you said?

If you look at Russia's current capabilities vis-à-vis the Alliance, but also vis-à-vis threatening the territory of the Czech Republic, then air defense is obviously very important. But I think we need to build the capabilities of an all-arms army, because conflicts are evolving. You can see this from the invasion of Ukraine, how the tactics of conducting operations are evolving, how capabilities are evolving on both the Ukrainian and Russian sides. So we need to build capabilities in all domains, we need to build a truly all-arms army.

Would you say that the war in Ukraine is an opportunity for the army to improve, refine, and develop its capabilities?

Definitely. We monitor and collect information and continuously evaluate it to see if it will affect how we plan to modernize the army and how we plan to build capabilities. So, based on what we have learned and analyzed so far, I think that the modernization of the Czech Army is well planned in the main areas. There will always be some things that we have to respond to. What has emerged are unmanned systems. Drones are popular now, but it turns out that it's not just about drones, it's also about ground-based unmanned electronic warfare systems. Of course, sustainability and logistics are also important. Coverage of the Czech Republic's territory is also important, and we have it. The development of territorial forces has intensified considerably.

When you mentioned unmanned systems, is it still true that conquered territory is where a soldier's foot has stepped?

Of course, that still applies, but the way war is waged is changing.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Defense Minister Jana Černochová have mentioned increasing military spending. It is no longer the 2% of GDP that is enshrined in law, but there is an ambition to go to 3%. At the last NATO summit, there was even a call for 5% of GDP to be spent on defense. Do you think this is a realistic amount of money, or is it more of a political statement?

I don't want to judge whether this or that political statement is a political statement or whether it is realistic. The summit emphasized 5% of GDP, but in principle it was agreed that military spending would be around 3.5%. The remaining 1.5% of GDP is planned to be used to complete infrastructure, and we don't have to look far, because our neighbors in Poland are very good at using it. They are not only investing in building the capabilities of the Polish army, but they are also building their own state infrastructure, which not only serves to support the army in the event of a conflict or crisis, but also serves the population and the state in times of peace. Better highways, railways, and stronger bridges will primarily serve the population, in our case the population of the Czech Republic. The army will use it if it needs to.

If we imagine 3%, which is one percent more than is currently legislated, and in addition the organization of military purchases, which is not exactly a quick process. Do you have any idea what you would spend this extra money on?

Of course, we have an idea of how to invest. When we wrote the Concept for the Development of the Czech Army 2035, it was based on Capability Targets 2021. Thanks to the fact that CT 2025 already sets higher qualitative and quantitative requirements for the capabilities of the Czech Army, more money will be needed for this. I think that 3% would be ideal for us to fulfill the capabilities that have been set for us. But I want to emphasize that we are not only building the capabilities of the Czech Army for the benefit of the Alliance, but we are also building capabilities that will ensure the defense of our country.

It's not just about having more money all of a sudden. It's also necessary to change the structure of the army, to adapt the system so that spending is effective. Is that right?

Of course, when I talk about building the capabilities of the Czech Army, I don't just mean buying more tanks, guns, and aircraft, but rather a complex set of areas that need to be developed. So if you buy air defense systems, you need personnel, and you need infrastructure. These are additional things, and it's all interconnected, affecting multiple areas. So when I talk about building capabilities, I don't just mean that we will buy more and more combat systems or combat support systems.

Are we currently facing something that is precisely this change in the structure of the army?

We are analyzing Capability Targets 2025, and it seems that the structure of the Czech Army will have to change. I don't want to say exactly what new battalion or brigade or unit will be created. However, it will concern air defense systems, the building of territorial forces, and the completion of major rearmament projects. Once we have completed the analysis, we will present it to the political leadership, the Ministry of Defense, and finally the government. We will make military recommendations on where to direct the capabilities of the Czech Army. This should be reflected in the revised Concept for the Development of the Czech Army 2035. So please be patient. Wait for the update to the Concept for the Development of the Czech Army.

You see, I wanted to ask what the army will be like in ten years, what condition it will be in, what its priorities will be, how its concept will change.

As far as the tasks of the Czech Army are concerned, I don't think our basic task, which is to defend the Czech Republic against external attack, should change. This is enshrined in the constitution and laws. Perhaps some capabilities in the area of combat support and combat security will change. Of course, the army is being modernized, which I believe will enable it to operate in a multi-domain environment. Its capabilities will be significantly increased. It will be an army without Soviet-type weapon systems, whether in the air force or ground forces, and it will be re-equipped with modern weapon systems.