Engagement of the Slovak Armed Forces in Future Crisis Management Operations

• Main Author: Peter PINDJÁK
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: National Institute for Aerospace Research “Elie Carafoli” - INCAS 2014-09-01
• Series: INCAS Bulletin
• Subjects: international crisis management; defense planning; irregular warfare; armed forces; Slovak Republic
• Online Access: http://bulletin.incas.ro/files/pindjak__vol_6_issue_3.pdf

During the past two decades, the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (AF SR) have participated in more than thirty operations under major international organizations and coalitions. Despite the political interest to sustain active engagement of the AF SR in international crisis management operations, the declining level of capabilities coupled with the urgent need to modernize most of the military equipment compels the Slovak Ministry of Defense to commence a complex optimization process. Even though the evolving security environment continues to widen the spectrum of military capabilities, AF SR will need to prioritize and optimize their capabilities selectively. The defense planners must make sure that the AF SR will develop and maintain the necessary spectrum of capabilities required for the most likely deployment scenario. The optimization process should be conducted within a long-term conceptual plan that clearly defines the future course of the AF SR development within a limited financial frame. At the same time, the optimization endeavor must include a certain degree of flexibility that will allow for necessary adjustments based on specific operational requirements. In the end, the AF SR may become a modern and flexible instrument of power that could be engaged in crisis management operations abroad, upholding national and international interests effectively.