The Slovak Army has hastily begun to re-arm due to concerns over the potential worsening of the situation in neighbouring Ukraine. To that end, Slovakia turned to Czech-based arms manufacturer Uherský Brod and plans to buy arms worth tens of millions of Czech crowns, Czech Hospodárske Noviny daily reported on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian crisis could lead to a significant commission for the Czech arms manufacturer, as Slovakia intends to buy Czech assault rifles and pistols, said the daily. The Slovak Defence Ministry didn't offer much in the way of comment, though. “At the moment, we're considering the issue of re-arming certain segments with new types of handgun,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Martina Balleková told the daily. According to the information of Hospodárske Noviny, Slovakia is poised to buy a couple of hundred Czech Bren rifles. Aside from that, the Slovak Army could also acquire hundreds of CZ pistols and Scorpion submachine guns. “The re-arming of the Slovak Army under consideration was also discussed by defence ministers of both countries at their April meeting in Bratislava,” confirmed Czech Defence Ministry spokesman Jan Pejsek. For the Czech arms manufacturer, the commission is of major importance, as it gives guarantees that the company would re-arm the whole Slovak army, meaning some 13,000 professional soldiers.
