The participation of our soldiers in the training of Kenyan soldiers, information on the procurement of military kitchens and Supacat vehicles, and the development and financing of a virtual recruitment center were the main items on the agenda of yesterday's 51st meeting of the Defense Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

At the beginning of the meeting, the committee took note of the report on the participation of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic in military exercises outside the territory of the Czech Republic and the participation of the armed forces of other states in military exercises on the territory of the Czech Republic in the second half of 2024, when 58 exercises took place outside our territory and 24 on our territory. The total expenditure from the ministry's budget amounted to CZK 62 million.

Participation of our soldiers in Kenya

The committee also recommended that the Chamber of Deputies adopt a proposal for the deployment of forces and resources of the Ministry of Defense for training and advisory purposes in Kenya until 2026, which was approved by the government on April 23. Defense Minister Jana Černochová said that the draft mandate was based on the Czech Republic's foreign policy and security priorities. "The Czech Republic will thus contribute to military support for Kenya and at the same time confirm its willingness to participate in addressing security threats on NATO's southern flank. Kenya is one of the West's most important partners in the region, as confirmed, among other things, by its membership in the Contact Group for Defense of Ukraine. In the regional context, Kenya is one of the stable African countries. Neighboring South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia pose certain security risks to the border areas," the minister said. According to her, stability in this area has an impact, among other things, on the security of trade routes in the Red Sea.

The Czech Republic has been militarily engaged in Kenya since 2012 through participation in military exercises. Thanks to intensified cooperation, a foreign mission was established in Kenya in 2017 with the main task of training Kenyan soldiers. “During this cooperation, our instructors have trained several hundred members of the Kenyan defense and security forces, and thanks to the results, the Czech Republic enjoys considerable trust among the professional public and the security community in Kenya,” the minister continued. She also commented on the fact that the previous participation of our soldiers had been questioned from a constitutional point of view. “I would like to emphasize that the activities of the Special Forces of the Czech Army in Kenya to date have not been unconstitutional or circumvented the constitution,” Černochová pointed out.

Training and advisory services in Kenya will be provided by up to 30 members of the Czech Armed Forces from the date of approval by the Parliament of the Czech Republic until December 31, 2026, with the possibility of further extension at the discretion of both chambers of parliament. The draft mandate proposes annual expenditure of CZK 93 million for activities in Kenya in 2025 and 2026. Both parties also agreed on the text of a generally applicable agreement between the Government of the Czech Republic and the Government of the Republic of Kenya on cooperation in the field of defense. Among other things, this agreement contains provisions specifying the legal status of members of the Czech Armed Forces in Kenya and members of the Kenyan armed forces in the Czech Republic.

Army General Karel Řehka added that the units trained by members of the Czech Armed Forces are recognized in the country and enjoy a high level of trust and prestige. “This is due to their excellent results in combat operations against terrorism, especially against the Somali terrorist organization Al-Shabaab, primarily on the eastern border with Somalia,” said Řehka, who believes that stable, long-standing cooperation and a professional approach are the basis of the Czech Republic's reputation as an exclusive partner, which Kenyan units prefer over cooperation with units from other Western countries.

The minister also commented on an earlier incident that occurred during training in Kenya, when a Kenyan soldier was shot. According to information available to the minister from military attaché Bořivoj Jurečka in Nairobi, the soldier has no serious injuries and has already returned to work. He is expected to be able to perform standard duties in the coming weeks.

Purchase of field kitchens

During their meeting, MPs also focused on the purchase of field kitchens and Supacat vehicles. Commenting on the field kitchens, the minister said that the Czech Army currently still has a significant number of trailer kitchens dating back to the 1960s and 1970s, which account for up to 80% of the total number of such equipment.

Some vehicles use the Praga V3S 5 chassis, which is no longer supported and for which spare parts are not available for operation and repairs. The operation of outdated kitchens is also problematic for hygienic reasons and does not meet the conditions for catering facilities under European Union regulations. In this context, Lubor Koudelka, Director General of the Armament and Acquisition Section of the Ministry of Defense, presented a plan and implementation of purchases of various types of kitchens. Between 2019 and 2025, the Ministry of Defense concluded a total of five contractual relationships for the purchase of new field kitchens of various types. Some of these facilities have already been delivered to the Czech Armed Forces, while some will be delivered until 2030. During this period, the Ministry gradually tendered and purchased, for example, 14 container-type kitchens consisting of a cooking facility and a serving area in three stages from VARIEL a.s. at a bid price of CZK 89,818,302 including VAT. Furthermore, two sets of PKK-ARMA container field kitchens from 4army s.r.o. with a bid price of CZK 65,231,100 including VAT, or 16 kitchens – trailer trucks with a bid price of CZK 100,800,000 including VAT. The last eight kitchens will be delivered by the end of June this year.

The greatest attention of the deputies was attracted by the contract for one set of KALICH field container kitchens consisting of five special ISO 1C containers comprising: “cooking area – hot zone,” “cooking area – cold zone,” “serving area,” wastewater tank and a drinking water tank, both with a solid floor. Once again, 4Army s.r.o. was successful with a price of CZK 65,945,000 including VAT. This company was supposed to deliver the kitchen by last October, but delivery is currently expected by the end of June, so the ministry will subsequently claim a contractual penalty from the company for late delivery. Minister Černochová commented on this event, stating that she had initiated an internal audit due to the contract, the results of which will be communicated to the committee.

The last type – the POKA 5 mobile field kitchen – some will be delivered by 2030 in a minimum quantity of 20 units (with a maximum quantity of 62 units) between 2026 and 2030 as part of vertical cooperation with the state-owned defense enterprise VTÚ. The financial limit for the contract is CZK 4,030,000,000, including VAT. The army will receive the first 20 units by November 15, 2027, with a possible increase to 62 units between 2028 and 2030. Committee chairman Lubomír Metnar later told reporters that some aspects of these purchases would need to be clarified. “I will be interested in the vertical cooperation, because it did not take place within the framework of a tender but directly within the framework of vertical cooperation, albeit with a state-owned enterprise,” said Metnar. Opposition MPs also criticized the purchase price of the field kitchens.

Purchase of Supacat vehicles

The discussion on the procurement of Supacat armored vehicles followed a similar course. According to Lubor Koudelka, the Ministry of Defense is currently finalizing the tender process for the procurement of light armored vehicles for the Czech Army's special forces. The purchase should be discussed by the ministry's collegium by the end of June, and the draft contract will then be submitted to the government. According to Koudelka, the purchase of 18 Supacat vehicles will cost CZK 1.76 billion excluding VAT. The committee is returning to this contract for the third time, having last discussed it at a closed meeting in November last year. Based on the committee's recommendation, the ministry decided to split the contract, purchase only the chassis of these vehicles from LPP, and then have them technically evaluated by the state-owned company VTÚ," said Minister Černochová.

According to Koudelka, LPP submitted a bid to the Ministry of Defense for 18 vehicles for £32.5 million (approx. CZK 952 million), excluding VAT. “It is identical to the bid we received from this company in the middle of last year,” said Koudelka. At the same time, the ministry received an offer from the state-owned company VTÚ for technical evaluation, i.e., the integration of all systems into the vehicles, worth CZK 810 million excluding VAT. In total, the purchase of the vehicles should cost CZK 1.76 billion excluding VAT. If these offers are approved by the ministry's collegium and subsequently by the government, the Ministry of Defense plans to sign the contracts in the summer.

Regarding speculation about the price of the vehicle, which according to some statements was up to three times higher than the price of the same vehicles for the British Army, the Minister of Defense stated the following: “The price of the vehicle for the Czech special forces is at the same level as for the British Army,” said Černochová, referring to a statement by Supacat CEO Phil Applegarth. The Chief of the General Staff then reiterated to the committee members that the soldiers need these vehicles.

Virtual recruitment center

Another item on the agenda of the Defense Committee was information from the Ministry of Defense about the virtual recruitment center, its planned development, and financing. Let us recall that the original cost estimate in 2022 was around CZK 20 million. On January 9, 2023, the state-owned company LOM PRAHA launched an above-threshold public tender entitled “Integrated Portal for Human Resources Recruitment” with a total volume of CZK 95 million excluding VAT. The provision of subsequent service, operation, and development of the virtual recruitment center in 2025-2027 was the subject of another contract between LOM PRAHA and the Ministry of Defense dated December 3, 2024, with a total volume of up to CZK 81,818,181.82 excluding VAT, with a performance period of three years or until the financial limit is exhausted.

The Minister of Defense commented on this issue, stating that the so-called virtual recruitment center is not just a website, but a successful example of digitization in the true sense of the word, i.e., of the entire important process that recruitment is. "The DoArmady.cz website is just the tip of the iceberg. As we have said from the beginning, it is a project that will continue to develop and add new functionalities. Registers that we can connect are being added, as this is now permitted by legislation. It is being integrated into the ministry's information systems," said Černochová, commenting on the advantages of the system. Her words were confirmed by Brigadier General Petr Šnajdárek: “The center is part of our overall effort to change and transform ministries into the digital world. It is about streamlining the modernization of cataloging processes, automation, technological modernization using modern technological elements, and the overall debureaucratization of processes in the ministry,” said Šnajdárek, according to whom it is a matter of concentrating all information in one hub, from which information is drawn for applicants, or for other active reserves and those interested in joining the army, so that all web services can be integrated. According to the general, it is important to bring this offer closer to Generation Z. "Let me share two key statistics. The virtual center has helped us promote interest in joining the army. The visitor numbers speak for themselves—100,000 visits in 2025. The data is from May of this year, in addition, the website has recorded over one million unique visits," said Šnajdárek.

Chief of the General Staff, General Karel Řehka, added that the army is taking a number of measures to maintain its numbers, with the virtual center being just one part of recruitment. "This year, 2,833 people applied to join the service. However, we have to deduct the number of people who drop out during the process, which is usually around 60%, mainly due to health, criminal record, and other reasons. This year, 908 soldiers joined the units, and another 200 will join on August 1, so we are at, let's say, 1,108 soldiers," said Řehka.

Within the virtual recruitment center, committee members also discussed pricing costs, to which General Šnajdárek replied that this concerned the entire security system. "It is a significant information system connected to more than 14 internal information systems, which must meet high security standards. Each sub-contract is reviewed by a joint steering committee. The steering committee is appointed across the ministry, including the State Secretary's section, where both legislative inputs and all related matters are approved. Artificial intelligence and similar technologies work with data, which we must, of course, improve," Šnajdárek explained to MPs.

During yesterday's session, we asked MPs the following question: How do you assess the current methods of recruiting new professional soldiers to the Czech Armed Forces, and where do you see room for improvement in the whole process?

Lubomír Metnar (ANO), Committee Chair

First, we need to ensure that military service is competitive in the labor market; without this, the situation will unfortunately not improve. As for the recruitment methods themselves, there is certainly room for improvement, for example by modernizing marketing through social networks or interactive tools, and last but not least, authentic stories from professional soldiers could increase the attractiveness of military service. We must not forget to simplify administrative processes and improve the regional availability of recruitment events, not only in large cities but also in smaller municipalities. Deepening cooperation with universities and professional institutions would also make it possible to recruit specialized experts directly from the academic environment. Departures in the first few months are also problematic, which could be reduced by more intensive psychological preparation of new recruits.

Jan Hofmann (ODS), Vice-Chairman of the Committee

The virtual recruitment center is a major step forward compared to previous years. It is the beginning of the digitization of the entire process. This will continue to develop. The question, however, is how to get those interested in joining the army to the entrance gate of the virtual recruitment center. POKOS and army presentations at various events are intended to serve this purpose. However, the army still has room for improvement in this area.

Karel Krejza (ODS), committee member

We have only recently passed a law on professional soldiers, which brings very generous benefits to new and existing soldiers. Let's wait and see how it works out in practice. I sincerely hope that we, as a government, have done enough. If it doesn't work, then we need to look for completely new, perhaps old, solutions. It depends on the enemy. It seems to me a bit like politicians trying to encourage higher birth rates. Orbán in Hungary offered generous subsidies, preferential loans and mortgages, tax breaks for mothers of four or more children, and even support for the purchase of family cars, but it didn't work. He is a pioneer of dead ends, and other countries know that this is NOT the way to go. But as I say, let's give the army some time...

Petr Liška (STAN), committee member

In my opinion, the recruitment methods are similar to the usual communication tools used by the current generation, which is good and I view it positively. In addition to the official channels used by the ministry and the army, it is certainly useful to communicate informally within certain limits, which the Chief of the General Staff has used, with reservations from the ministry. The current generation likes role models and stories and is looking for something to identify with. However, what I still find lacking as an addition or tool to motivate young men and women to choose a career in the army is any kind of intensive military training that would prepare them for military service, but also familiarize them with the army environment, career opportunities, education and skills acquisition, etc. Military training is a long-term tool for motivating people to fulfill their civic duties, building responsibility for the defense of the country in case of threat, and fostering patriotism. Military training also serves the army and the ministry to promote necessary investments and their acceptance by citizens, as well as to make the military profession more attractive, which will ultimately increase recruitment into the army or the reserves.

Radovan Vích (SPD), committee member

This is an attempt to put out a house fire that has been burning for three years with a glass of water. The measures taken by the Ministry of Defense are too late and half-hearted. They may reduce the number of soldiers leaving, but they do not solve the catastrophic understaffing of units, where in some cases the shortage is as high as 50%. Soldiers on active duty must live with their families and not commute, which is 80% of all soldiers, and of the 8,300 crowns announced by Defense Minister Černochová from July, only 7.5% will ultimately go toward tariffs and an increase in housing allowances. Soldiers also lack motivation in the form of modern technology, equipment, and the condition of the immovable infrastructure. The army is aging, surviving, and dying at the expense of flawed but media-friendly acquisitions such as the F-35. All of this needs to be changed.

Michal Zuna (TOP 09) Committee Member

The amendment submitted in February fundamentally supported recruitment, retention of personnel, and strengthening of active reserves. We increased the recruitment allowance and benefits for existing soldiers, introduced travel allowances and housing allowances, and are removing bureaucratic obstacles for soldiers in active reserves. In addition, a virtual recruitment center has been launched, where we are already seeing an increase in traffic, a jump in applications, and a simplification and acceleration of the recruitment process. We want to place great emphasis on promoting and raising public awareness of the benefits and opportunities of participating in the defense of the state. Everyone in the country must be aware of the possibility of voluntary pre-registration or participation in voluntary military training. These steps can serve as a gateway to broader citizen involvement in the professional army, active reserves, or the mobilization readiness system. Although these are not quick fixes, we see them as strategically important for strengthening national defense in the long term.