# The Military Strategy of the Czech Republic **Prague 2008** ----- ## A. INTRODUCTION 1. The Military Strategy of the Czech Republic brings forth a set of basic principles for defence of the state and for development of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic (hereinafter referred to as the Armed Forces)[1] and therefore provides a point of reference for formulation of subsequent strategies and policies or may even bring about appropriate legislative changes. 2. The Military Strategy reflects upon the current and future global security environment while building upon security interests and defence as well as foreign policy principles defined in the Security Strategy of the Czech Republic. Furthermore, this document keeps true to the fundamental principles of the NATO’s Strategic Concept and Comprehensive Political Guidance, and the EU’s European Security Strategy. 1 The Armed Forces are, for purposes of the Military Strategy, understood in a different perspective than Law no. 219/1999 Coll., on Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, and they comprise Army of the Czech Republic, Military Police and Military Intelligence. 2 ----- ## B. DEFENCE STRATEGY 3. The current global security environment can be generally characterized by its growing complexity, variability, unpredictability and a marked asymmetry which render it a subject to continuous re-evaluation. Extremism, terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery including ballistic missiles rank among the gravest threats that can directly or indirectly impact security interests of the Czech Republic and her allies. Other serious threats could originate from regional crises caused by long-lasting unresolved problems that can escalate into intrastate or interstate armed conflicts. It is also apparent that growing economic and military power of some countries may position them to pursue their national interests in a more aggressive manner threatening to use and, in extreme cases, actually using military force. Finally, threats such as instability caused by failed or failing states, disruption or deliberate cut-off of strategic resources flows or disputes over their control, abuse of information and information technologies, or humanitarian crises and natural disasters also require appropriate attention. These threats have already manifested themselves up to various degrees and it is necessary to face them in a timely manner. Nevertheless, a large-scale conventional conflict in the territories of NATO or EU member states is still highly unlikely in a foreseeable future; such a threat would be identified well in advance and therefore met with effective countermeasures. 4. **The Czech Republic’s security interests are tightly interwoven with interests of our** **NATO allies and EU partners. Her ability to effectively and efficiently prevent and** **face any future threats stems solely from international cooperation. Therefore, Czech** defence policy is based on active participation in activities of organizations the Czech Republic is a member of, particularly NATO and the EU. Czech defence policy is also maintained by acting in international organizations contributing to the strengthening of confidence and security in the world (United Nations Organization, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and others), and by fostering sound bilateral relations. 5. International confidence and security building measures and arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation regimes are important tools of threat prevention and risk reduction. Their obsolescence, destabilization and weakening can adversely affect the security environment. Hence, the Czech Republic will in an appropriate manner continue to work toward increasing their effectiveness. 6. **The cornerstone of defence of the Czech Republic against present or future threats** **is her active participation in the NATO’s system of collective defence founded on** **a strong transatlantic link. The Czech Republic is seeking to strengthen the principle of** collective defence of common security interests of NATO member states throughout its area of operation. 7. In the current security environment, collective defence within NATO is the only effective, efficient and credible means of defence of the Czech Republic. The Armed Forces fulfil their core task of preparing for defence of and defending the Czech Republic against external attacks in this context. The national defence system will be tailored to serve this purpose. The Czech Republic also assumes its share of responsibility for security and defence of her allies and for protection and advancement of common security interests of NATO member states. In accordance with the requirements resulting 3 ----- from NATO defence planning, the Czech Republic will continue to build up her Armed Forces and sustain her capability of providing host-nation support to allied forces when necessary. The Czech Republic will also fulfil tasks within the NATO Integrated Air Defence System using her own fleet of supersonic aircraft. 8. Given the continuing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, including ballistic missiles, the Czech Republic will, in the spirit of the North Atlantic Treaty, take part in the international defence projects to cope with this threat, presented namely by ballistic missiles carrying weapons of mass destruction. 9. **The current security environment calls for an active involvement of the Armed** **Forces in operations outside the Czech Republic’s, NATO’s and EU’s territories.** Preserving stability and security in regions of interest[2] through NATO- and EU-led operations or coalition operations is the most effective way of minimizing negative effects of above-mentioned threats to security interests of the Czech Republic and her allies. Active participation in such operations is therefore essential for safeguarding of security interests of the Czech Republic and holds a correspondingly high place on the priority list of the Armed Forces. Effectiveness of the Armed Forces’ deployment depends on their ability to react promptly to the emergence and development of crisis situations, and also on their ability to take a comprehensive approach involving concerted cooperation of military and civilian actors in the planning as well as execution phase of an operation. 10. Defence of the Czech Republic necessitates adequate and unfluctuating funding allotted especially for the development of those elements of the Armed Forces that are to be utilized in the most likely operations. The defence budget will over the coming years have to correspond to the level adequate to fulfil the declared political-military ambitions, solve the urgent necessity of modernisation of legacy equipment, cover training requirements and infrastructure investments, and enable the Czech Republic to actively participate in NATO and EU activities in the time when both organizations increase scale and scope of their engagement. 2 See The Security Strategy of the Czech Republic. 4 ----- ## C. POLITICAL -MILITARY AMBITIONS 11. Outside the territory of the Czech Republic, the Armed Forces are deployed solely within a wider effort of the international community – in operations led by NATO, EU, United Nations or ad hoc coalitions while respecting the principles of the United Nations Charter. With the exception of the arctic areas, the Armed Forces are deployable, in principle, without any geographical limitation. Deployed task forces shall be composed primarily of organic units augmented with specific modules, particularly combat support and combat service support modules. 12. For the purposes of collective defence, in accordance with Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the Czech Republic is to provide land and air forces from a set of forces earmarked within the NATO defence planning. The main component is a brigade task force built on the basis of a medium mechanized brigade. In case of an armed conflict that would threaten the very sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Czech Republic, all assets and capabilities of the professional armed forces will be used together with general conscription. 13. Non-Article 5 (of the North Atlantic Treaty) military operations: a) The Czech Republic is ready to actively contribute to non-Article 5 military operations that represent the most likely scenario of the Armed Forces deployment. Within operation tasks related to the conduct of combat activities as well as tasks of humanitarian assistance and post-conflict stabilization and reconstruction can be fulfilled successively or simultaneously. b) The Czech Republic shall be capable of participating in simultaneous military operations with the following task forces:[3] i) a brigade task force for a six-month period without rotation; ii) a sustainable battalion task force rotated after a six-month period. Within deployment of a battalion task force, the Armed Forces shall be able to provide headquarters for a multinational brigade task force for a period of up to one year;[4] iii) a sustainable company task force rotated after a six-month period; iv) stand-by task forces up to the level of a battalion earmarked for the NATO Response Force or EU Battle Groups at the time, when the brigade task force is not deployed. c) Moreover, the Czech Republic shall be capable of contributing specialized task forces or groups of experts to other operations. These may include special units and 3 Those task forces can be, besides units of land forces, also formed by units of air forces or combat support or combat service support units. In this case, the period of their deployment can be shorter or the capability of rotation can be limited. 4 Headquarters for the multinational brigade task force can be provided only if the brigade task force is not deployed as stated in i). 5 ----- detachments or training and advisory expert teams, in addition to groups of military personnel who may serve in multinational headquarters and observation missions. 14. Support of civilian authorities in non-military crises: a) Within the Czech territory, the Armed Forces shall be ready to provide, to a necessary extent and according to the availability, assets and capabilities in support of the Integrated Rescue System and the Police of the Czech Republic reinforced by active reserve units when necessary. Generally, all assets and capabilities of the Armed Forces could be used to this purpose. b) Outside the Czech territory, the Armed Forces shall be capable of providing assets and capabilities as per actual availability in support of civilian authorities and organizations. 6 ----- ## D. DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARMED FORCES AND THEIR CAPABILITIES 15. The Czech Republic shall focus on developing primarily those capabilities of the Armed Forces that are usable and beneficial within multinational task forces. Development of such capabilities will also ensure more efficient fulfilment of Armed Forces’ tasks on the Czech territory. Therefore, in the view of the defence strategy given in the Chapter B, the Czech Republic does not have to possess the full spectrum of capabilities that would be otherwise necessary for autonomous operations of the Armed Forces. As a contribution to the improvement of defence capacities of NATO and the EU, the Armed Forces shall focus mainly on the ability to provide a sufficient number of deployable units of land and air forces. The Czech Republic shall continue to maintain her significant international position regarding capabilities of defence against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons. 16. The Armed Forces shall fulfil the political-military ambitions of the Czech Republic and tasks stemming from legal acts in their peacetime force structure. Replenishment and reinforcement of the Armed Forces in crisis situations shall be attained through reserves. A sufficient pool of reservists shall be ensured by appropriate parameters of obligatory reserve. In case of temporary reinforcement of the Armed Forces when necessary to deal with crisis situations within the Czech territory, especially during a state of emergency or a state of war, other military units and installations can be activated to support civilian authorities. Arrangements for wartime replenishment and reinforcement of the Armed Forces shall be redesigned appropriately to a new system resting exclusively on conceptual measures (in terms of planning, training, operational, mobilisation, economic, legal, and organizational measures). Even though the defence of the Czech Republic relies on the professional armed forces, the defence remains to be a concern of the whole society, which is, _inter alia, signified by preserving the institution of general_ conscription. 17. The composition and amount of supplies shall be maintained in accordance with accepted NATO standards. Supplies availability shall be consistent with the readiness of respective units. 18. The Armed Forces are being designed as a single set of efficiently structured, universally usable, interoperable and deployable forces, which are capable of joint action and coordination with civilian actors, and fully utilize advantages of international cooperation. Their build-up and development shall focus on requirements of the most likely operations and shall allow for flexible reaction to changing conditions. 19. The Armed Forces shall focus primarily on strengthening of deployable capabilities. Modernisation projects shall mitigate the generational obsolescence of weapon and support systems as available funds allow and with due regard to the priorities of the Armed Forces development. 20. Principles of the Armed Forces development: a) **Single set of forces. Single set of forces and capabilities is formed to meet the defined** political-military ambitions and to fulfil tasks resulting from legal acts. Forces shall be 7 ----- built and trained to fulfil military tasks as well as to support civilian authorities in non-military crises. b) **Effectiveness. The given defence strategy and adequate availability of technological** and production capacities shall enable efficient and flexible adjustment of the force structure to the needs of the most likely operations while preserving the ability to react effectively to less probable situations. c) **Deployability. Combat units, combat support and combat service support units shall** be built as deployable and increasingly more sustainable in the full spectrum of coalition operations. Of those Armed Forces’ components, which are by their nature not deployable, certain branches bearing selected capabilities shall be also prepared for deployment. All members of the Armed Forces shall be deployable to operations both within and outside the Czech territory. d) **Joint operation. Deployable forces shall be developed and trained so that they can** operate effectively and efficiently in joint task forces. e) **Interoperability. Deployable forces shall be interoperable with allies in NATO and** partners in the EU. f) **Modularity. Units of the Armed Forces shall be built so as to be able to compose** required task forces through mutual combinations in accordance with the operational requirements. The basic element of the land forces force structure shall be a modular combat battalion. The organisation of the Armed Forces shall enable generation of tactical task forces based primarily on organic units augmented with specific modules, particularly combat support and combat service support modules. g) **Coordination with external actors.** In order to achieve desired effects, the Armed Forces shall develop their ability to coordinate and closely cooperate with state and non-state civilian actors when planning and conducting operations. h) **International cooperation. Advantages of international cooperation shall be utilized** in acquiring and enhancing Armed Forces capabilities, _inter alia, by sharing_ collectively-owned capabilities, particularly the strategic ones. International cooperation shall, to a suitable extent, also include participation in establishing multinational units, training and education, and international research, development and armament projects. Reinforcement of mutual cohesion of the defence industry within the EU will be an important factor in the previously-mentioned area. i) **Competent personnel. Personnel policy shall create conditions to recruit and retain** qualified and highly motivated military professionals and civilian employees who are indispensable for successful implementation of this strategy. 8 ----- ## E. CONCLUSION 21. This Military Strategy of the Czech Republic supersedes the 2004 edition. It will be updated should fundamental changes of factors influencing security and defence of the Czech Republic emerge. **_The Military Strategy of the Czech Republic was approved by the Governmental Resolution_** **_of 23[rd] July 2008, Nr. 907._** 9 -----