Slovak Armed Forces

The Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic were divided from the Czechoslovak Army after dissolution of Czechoslovakia on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined NATO on 29 March 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 2006 the army transformed into a fully professional organization and compulsory military service was abolished.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Slovak armed forces numbered 20,982 uniformed personnel and 4,500 civilians in 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Slovak Armed Forces organization 2024 (click to enlarge)

Organization

Template:Location map+The Armed Forces consist of:

• General Staff
  • Military Intelligence
• Ground Forces
• Slovak Air Force
• File:MP Slovakia.gif Military police
• Special Operations Forces
• File:National Defense Force.png National Defense Force

Joint Operational Command

Joint Operational Command in Banská Bystrica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Commander: 2 Star General)

Ground forces

• 1st Mechanized Brigade<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 2nd Mechanized Brigade<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 5th Artillery Regiment<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 91st Engineer Regiment<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 22nd Reconnaissance Regiment<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 71st Command Support Battalion<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 103rd Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence Battalion<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Air force

Template:Main The Slovak Air Force, officially the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, has been defending Slovak airspace since independence in 1993. The Slovak Air Force currently comprises one wing of fighters, one wing of utility helicopters, one wing of transport aircraft, and one SAM brigade. It operates around 20 combat aircraft, as well as 10 helicopters from 3 air bases: Malacky/Kuchyňa Air Base, Sliač Air Base, Prešov Air Base. The Air Force is currently part of the NATO Integrated Air and Missiles Defense System – NATINADS.

Special Operations Forces

• 5th Special Forces Regiment<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 51st Training Base in Žilina<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 52nd Airborne Battalion in Jamník<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 57th Separate Section in Martin<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

82nd Joint Support Brigade

Source:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• 3rd Command Support Company, in Trenčín
• 4th Logistic Regiment, in Trenčín<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 41st Supply Base, in Nemšová<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 42nd Supply Base, in Martin, Slovakia<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 43rd Supply Base, in Zemianske Kostoľany<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 53rd Field Services Battalion, in Hlohovec<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 405th Maintenance Battalion, in Martin<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 6th Signal Regiment, in Trenčín<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 61st Signal Battalion, in Trenčín<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 62nd Signal Battalion, in Ružomberok<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 7th Training Regiment, in Martin<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 71st Training Battalion <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • 72nd Training Support Battalion <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Topographic Institute, in Banská Bystrica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 701st Military Transport Center, in Bratislava
• Training and Mobilization Replenishment Base, in Martin

Military Medical Command

Military Medical Command in Ružomberok<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

• HQ<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Department of Management and Medical Analysis<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Department of Planning and Training<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Department of Logistic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Department of Military Healthcare Development<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Department of Veterinary Support<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Department of Field Medical Units<ref name="auto2">Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Field Mobil Medical Unit ROLE 2E<ref name="auto2"/>
  • Field Mobil Medical Unit ROLE 2B<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Logistic Battalion of Military Medical Command<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • HQ
  • Material Support Company
  • Technical Support Company

Personnel

Fundamental changes in the development of the armed forces occurred on January 1, 1998, when Act No. 370/1997 Coll. on Military Service abolished the term professional soldier, replacing it with the new term professional soldier. While this Act was in force, the Slovak Republic joined the NATO military alliance on March 29, 2004. A historically unique phenomenon occurred on January 1, 2006, when basic military service was abolished. On this day, the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic became fully professionalized and began a new stage in their existence. Every soldier is obliged to take the Military Oath..

Education

Military education in Slovakia is centered around the Armed Forces Academy of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik (AOS) in Liptovský Mikuláš. It is the country’s main institution for training future professional officers of the Slovak Armed Forces.

The academy offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in military and technical fields, focusing on leadership, defense strategy, engineering, and cybersecurity. It also provides specialized training for active-duty personnel and supports NATO-aligned education standards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

National Defense Force

The National Defense Froce Slovak: Národné Obranné Sily in short NOS. They function de facto as a reserve force. NOS membership is open to Slovak citizens aged 18 to 65, including both men and women. Prospective members must be physically and mentally fit, law‑abiding, reliable, and permanent residents of Slovakia with citizenship. NOS organizes three categories of voluntary reserves:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

1. Operational Reserves (Operačné zálohy) Serve both military defense and crisis management roles.
2. Readiness Reserves (Pohotovostné zálohy) Primarily focused on rapid crisis and emergency response.
3. Defense (Training) Reserves (Branné zálohy) For civilians without prior military experience—entails a one-time basic training

Uniforms

• 
  Soldiers in standard combat uniform vz.2007
• 
  Soldiers in standard combat uniform
  (desert variant)
• 
  Uniform of Slovak special force regiment
  (5th Special Operations Regiment)
• 
  Used by soldiers in reserve, originally it was standard uniform of slovak soldiers from 1995 to 2007<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 
  Used by soldiers in reserve, originally it was standard uniform of slovak soldiers from 1995 to 2007
  (desert variant)
• 
  Uniform of the Honor Guard of the Slovak Armed Forces<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 
  Uniform of the Honor Guard of the President of the Slovak Republic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 
  Honor Guard of the President of the Slovak Republic in the battalion's ceremonial uniform
• 
  Honor Guard of the President of the Slovak Republic in the battalion's ceremonial uniform (based on Slovak Uprising uniforms)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• 
  Service dress uniform

Missions

As of 2025, Slovakia has 240 military personnel deployed in Cyprus for UNFICYP United Nations led peace support operations, 50 troops deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina for EUFOR Althea and 135 troops deployed in Latvia for NATO Enhanced Forward Presence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The country has been an active participant in US- and NATO-led military actions and involved in many United Nations peacekeeping military missions: UNPROFOR in the Yugoslavia (1992–1995), UNOMUR in Uganda and Rwanda (1993-1994), UNAMIR in Rwanda (1993-1996), UNTAES in Croatia (1996-1998), UNOMIL in Liberia (1993-1997), MONUA in Angola (1997-1999), SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1999-2003), OSCE mission in Moldova (1998-2002), OSCE mission in Albania (1999), KFOR in Kosovo (1999-2002), UNGCI in Iraq (2000-2003), UNMEE in Ethiopia and Eritrea (2000-2004), UNMISET in East Timor (2001), EUFOR Concordia in Macedonia (2003), UNAMSIL in Sierra Leone (1999-2005), EU supporting action to African Union in Darfur (2006), Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (2002-2005), Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq (2003-2007), UNDOF at the borders of Israel and Syria (1998-2008) .<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Since the independence of Slovakia in 1993, there have been 60 uniformed personnel deaths in the line of service to the United Nations and NATO (as of 30 April 2018).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gallery

• 
  Armoured vehicle Tatrapan
• 
  Multiple rocket launcher RM-70 MODULAR
• 
  A Let L-410 Turbolet of the Slovak Air Force
• 
  Slovak 5th Special Forces Regiment operating in eastern Afghanistan
• 
  In eastern Afghanistan operation
• 
  Soldiers of the 12th Mechanized Battalion
• 
  Slovak and U.S. Soldiers join forces during a live-fire exercise Sept. 16, 2015 near Bratislava in the Slovak Republic
• 
  Slovak Bozena vehicle is designed for clearance of all conventional antipersonnel and antitank land mines and for IED removal assistance
• 
  Slovak Air Force F-16 Block 70/72
• 
  Slovak soldiers on training exercise in Germany

See also

• Slovak National Uprising
• Slovak Ministry of Defence
• NATO Enhanced Forward Presence

External links

• V armáde SR bude pôsobiť viac vojakov, bude mať aj viac húfnic či BVP
• Official homepage of the Ministry of Defence
• Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic Template:In lang