From 21 to 23 June 2023, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer was in Slovakia upon the invitation of its Chief of the General Staff, General Daniel Zmeko. In Bratislava, Admiral Bauer discussed the current security environment with Chiefs of Defence of the Visegrad Group countries, and met with the Slovak Defence Minister, Mr. Martin Sklenár. Admiral Bauer also had the opportunity to visit the NATO Multinational Battlegroup Slovakia, stationed at the Military Training Area Lešť, as well as the Italian Air Defence Unit stationed at Malacky Military Airbase.
Admiral Bauer was welcomed in Bratislava by the Slovak Chief of Defence, General with an official military honours ceremony. Afterwards, both military leaders addressed Slovakia's contributions to NATO as well as NATO's commitment to the security of the Alliance's eastern flank at a joint press conference. The Chair welcomed Slovakia's recent defence investment pledge at a minimum of 2% of GDP by the end of this year as well as its ongoing drive to invest in new defence capabilities and equipment. "In their own unique way, every one of our Allies helps reinforce and uphold NATO's defensive shield. […] It is important that Allies take Article 5 of the Washington Treaty (one for all, all for one) just as seriously as Article 3 (every Ally makes sure they can defend themselves)", noted the Admiral in his remarks, stressing that "the combination of those articles is the basis for our solidarity."
The Chair noted that the Visegrad Group, which Slovakia has been leading in the past year, is among the clearest examples of such solidarity. "The V4 countries share a common goal: to promote a strong and effective NATO. The importance of this cannot be overstated", said Admiral Bauer, explaining how Russia's pattern of increasingly aggressive behaviour has ushered in a new era of collective defence for the Alliance - which set in motion an unparalleled integration of NATO and national military planning.
Against this backdrop, the Visegrad Group (V4) working meeting in which Admiral Bauer partook with the Chiefs of Defence of Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, centred on the Alliance´s deterrence and defence posture as well as future prospects of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In his meeting with Slovak Defence Minister, Mr Martin Sklenár on the second day of the trip, Admiral Bauer commended him for Slovakia's ongoing contributions to NATO, including through the NATO Innovation Fund and NATO's Multinational Ammunition Warehousing Initiative. The two leaders also discussed the outcomes of the NATO Defence Ministerial meetings held last week in Brussels, as preparations are now underway for the upcoming NATO Vilnius Summit in Lithuania. For Slovakia, the NATO meeting brought some important news about the introduction of a new rotational model for NATO's air and missile defence. This means that the assets available to NATO member states will rotate under NATOʼs coordination, depending on circumstances and availability. "In a more dangerous and unpredictable world, NATO can rely on Slovakia - just as Slovakia can rely on NATO", said Admiral Bauer.
Among other, Slovakia is home to the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Center of Excellence (EOD CoE) in Trenčín and hosts the NATO Force Integration Unit Slovakia (NFIU SVK), which recently took part in Exercise Slovak Shield 23 - aimed to test the readiness and interoperability between the Slovak Armed Forces and NATO Allies. In 2023, Slovakia alone will host five major multinational exercises testing every Ally's ability to function as one.
The second part of the trip focused on key NATO and Slovak assets dedicated to the Alliance's Collective Defence. Admiral Bauer first visited the Military Training Area Lešť (MTA Lešť), home to the Multinational Battlegroup Slovakia (MN BG SVK). This battlegroup was officially established in September 2022 as part of NATO's enhanced deterrence and defence posture. Led by Czechia, it consists of Czech, German, Slovenian, United States and Slovak military personnel. "It is admirable how such a 'young' Battlegroup has managed to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time", said the Chair addressing the troops stationed on the ground.
Admiral Bauer went on to explain how the NATO Battlegroup Slovakia forms part of a chain of battlegroups on the Eastern Flank, from the Baltic sea to the Black sea, and of an enhanced posture with brought NATO to have, by June 2022, more than 40.000 troops under NATO's direct command, 130 Allied aircraft at high alert and 140 Allied ships conducting maritime operations around Europe. "NATO is founded on the promise of solidarity. But solidarity would mean nothing if there was nobody willing to fight for it", said Admiral Bauer. "Your unwavering determination sends an unmistakable message to any aggressor", he concluded, highlighting how this leaves no room for misunderstanding about NATO readiness to protect and defend all Allies. Slovakia has also maintained a rotational presence in the Multinational Battlegroup Latvia since 2018.
Moving on to the Military Airbase in Malacky, the Chair was introduced to the Task group of the Italian Army SAMP/T surface-based air defence system, deployed to Slovakia in March 2023. The SAMP/T is a theatre anti-missile system designed to protect the battlefield and sensitive sites, such as airports and seaports, against cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aircraft, and tactical ballistic missiles. Declared fully operational by Allied Air Command in April 2023, the system is now tied into the NATO defensive architecture shielding the eastern flank further enhancing Alliance interoperability and collective defence.
Admiral Bauer's trip concluded with a dinner hosted by the Slovak security and defence think tank GLOBSEC, where he delivered key remarks on the changes to NATO's deterrence and defend posture in the Eastern Flank and expectations for the upcoming Vilnius Summit. He outlined the magnitude and implications of the unparalleled NATO and national military planning integration - with the DDA family of plans driving Allied operations, exercises and investments: "The world has changed immensely in the last two years. But NATO will do what it does best: unite, adapt and protect."
During his visit to Slovakia, Admiral Bauer was awarded with the Commemorative Cross of the first class by the Slovak Chief of Defence, in recognition of his service to NATO and his leadership in challenging times.
