PRAGUE --- German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is on a two-day visit to the Czech Republic. He and the Minister of Defense Jana Černochová today visited the National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich, and then discussed current and future defense cooperation at the Ministry of Defense.
Today's visit by the Minister of Defense of the Federal Republic of Germany was another important milestone in Czech-German relations. Boris Pistorius became the first German Minister of Defense to visit the crypt of the Church of St. Cyril and Methodius, in which Czech paratroopers defended themselves against encirclement during World War II. In addition to the crypt itself, the minister also visited the temple and laid flowers at the monument to the heroes of the Heydrich.
The interconnection of the two countries is huge not only in the economic and cultural fields, but also in the defense area. Germany is a strategic partner of the Czech Republic, and the closeness of the two countries is also confirmed by the Strategic Dialogue between the Czech Republic and Germany, launched in 2015. "The Czech Republic is not only one of our most important neighbors in Europe. We have a common border of 814 km. On the one hand, this border is primarily a unifying element. At the same time, it offers many opportunities for strategic cooperation. Both politically, strategically and militarily. For that serious case we all want to prevent. This is precisely why this long border is so important for cooperation. Military, but also in matters of arms cooperation. Joint exercises, joint purchases, such as in the case of 77 Leopard tanks," said Minister Pistorius.
Regular meetings of the Security and Defense working group take place at the level of the defense departments. The ministers agreed that it would be appropriate to raise the representation at the meetings of this group to the level of deputies.
Cooperation has intensified in recent months - in connection with the conflict in Ukraine. Czech and German units are deployed together in multinational NATO battlegroups in Lithuania and Slovakia. Berlin intends to further strengthen its presence on NATO's eastern flank - Boris Pistorius announced in June that he would gradually station a robust brigade of 4,000 people permanently in Lithuania. "Germany was the eastern wing of NATO until the end of the Warsaw Pact. We have always been able to rely on partners from NATO countries to defend our security and freedom. Therefore, we know very well how important the presence of allies is and how important the protection of the new eastern flank is today," Pistorius said.
Minister Černochová agreed with her German colleague that the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation, with particular emphasis on joint action on the eastern border of the Alliance and joint training of the armed forces.
Negotiations at the level of defense ministers took place after three years, and Minister Černochová is in favor of even more frequent meetings: "I consider the area of defense to be a very important part of the Strategic Dialogue. We must continue to strengthen cooperation at all levels," she declared.
Another topic of joint discussion was the issue of recruiting new soldiers. “Both of our countries are struggling with how best to motivate young people to want to serve in the military, or at least in the active reserves. We exchanged a lot of experience and we intend to continue doing so in the future," said the Minister of Defense.
The Czech Republic and Germany are increasing aid to Ukraine
According to Jana Černochová, the meeting confirmed that both ministers perceive the biggest threats of the present in the same way. "Both of our countries are already helping and will continue to help war-torn Ukraine to recapture lost territories as soon as possible and expel Russian aggressors from its territory," she said, appreciating Germany's growing role in supporting Kyiv. They agreed that both countries would help the attacked country as long as necessary.
Berlin has already sent to Ukraine, among other things, howitzers, multiple-barreled rocket launchers, Leopard 2A6 battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and the Patriot air defense system. Before the recent NATO summit in Vilnius, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised another package of military aid in the amount of 2.7 billion Euros, which also includes 30 Leopard 1A5 battle tanks. At the summit, additional aid worth 700 million euros was announced, including, among other things, two more Patriot systems and 25 Leopard 1A5 tanks.
The Czech Republic has been among the major donors and suppliers of military aid since the beginning of the Russian invasion. In the past six months alone, 24 tanks, 17 infantry fighting vehicles and 645 anti-tank guided missiles traveled to Ukraine. Last year, the Department of Defense provided, among other things, 38 tanks, 55 BVP (Czech BMP variant--Ed.), four pieces of aviation equipment and 13 self-propelled howitzers.
Although the representatives of both countries agreed that the main focus should be on Ukraine, they did not leave out the topic of the African Sahel. "The Sahel is one of the areas where Czechs and Germans stand side by side. We agreed that it would be a mistake to clear the field and not pay more attention to this area," said the defense minister, adding that there are other opportunities for cooperation in the Sahel.
Leopard tanks
In addition to the donation of 15 Leopard 2A4 tanks, which the Army of the Czech Republic will take over by the end of this year, the Czech government has entrusted the Minister of Defense with negotiating the possible purchase of Leopard 2A8 tanks. The German side has already agreed for the Czech Republic to join its own framework agreement for the purchase of Leopard 2A8 tanks. The Czech Republic is considering the purchase of up to 77 of these tanks. The price will also depend on how many other countries eventually join the agreement.
The German minister described this plan as "an important and good step". “We are very pleased because it increases the ability to defend each other if needed. The Czech Republic has long been the most important security and defense partner in the Central European region," said Boris Pistorius at a joint press conference at the Czech Ministry of Defense.
The Czech Republic would thus join Germany, which intends to replace the Leopard 2A6 main battle tank with a new version of the 2A8. The German Ministry of Defense plans to act as the so-called central contracting authority in the project, which will mediate communication with the manufacturer, the KMW company, for all involved states – including the Czech Republic. According to Berlin, this procedure should significantly simplify the administration and speed up the process.
Another advantage is the uniform configuration, which enables more or less serial production and thus a lower price. Tanks will only be able to differ in communication equipment, paint and national markings.
"The main goal of this project is to make our heavy brigade fully interoperable in accordance with NATO standards," said Minister Černochová, according to which the signing of the contract could take place by mid-2024 and the first tanks could be delivered in 2027.
As with other orders, Prague strives for the most significant involvement of domestic industry in this case as well. "The involvement of the Czech defense industry is absolutely key for us and will be decisive for the government to approve our participation in this joint project," added Minister Černochová.
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