Slovak and US troops in joint military exercises at Lešť

As part of their training exercises at the Lešť military training facility (Banská Bystrica region) on Thursday Slovak and American soldiers demonstrated their skills during a simulated operation against traffickers of dangerous materials at a train station for the media. The ongoing joint military training will take place until 14 March. The exercises are focused on tactics used in the battle against terrorism and the smuggling of dangerous materials across the borders of the European Union. "This training exercise is also aimed at boosting the skills [of Slovak soldiers] for the certification of our special task forces, which is slated to take place towards the end of this year," said Slovak Defence Ministry State Secretary Miloš Koterec, voicing his thanks for the opportunity to train alongside special forces from the USA. The US-Slovak joint military training exercise features over 100 members of US special task forces and some 50 soldiers from the Žilina-based 5th special task regiment. The soldiers involved are using four US UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, the purchase of which is being considered by the Slovak Armed Forces. Commander of the 5th special task regiment Ľubomír Šebo praised the exercise and the use of the US helicopters. "Slovak and US special units have been engaged in long-term cooperation in Afghanistan. Moreover, these operations also feature Black Hawk helicopters, which have been used in military training in Slovakia for the first time. This is a big advantage for us," emphasised Šebo.