“Slovak rifles certified” – intense training of 13th Mechanised Battalion Group is over

Dubbed Ex Slovak Rifles, the intense 5-week training programme of 13th Mechanised Battalion Group has been concluded at the Training Centre Lešť today. Nearly 1,000 soldiers from across units of the SVK Army and SVK Air Force, augmented by some other elements of the SVK Armed Forces and 280 pieces of military equipment, tested their readiness by undergoing intense training and certification.

Lt Col Richard Kiraly, Commander of 13th Mechanised Battalion Levice, said: “The certification exercise, which marks the culmination of the nearly two-year preparation, was originally planned for June. However, due to the epidemiological situation, we had to reschedule it and take anti-pandemic measures.”

The last week of the exercise tested the coordination and readiness of the command staff and Group units to perform assigned tasks, when their actions on the battalion-level tactical live-fire exercise were tested by a certification team from the SVK Army and Defence Staff (DS). The final phase of the exercise was inspected by the new Commander of the Slovak Army, Brig Gen Ivan Pach.

Once certified, 13th Mechanised Battalion Group will take on the role of a unit earmarked for NATO collective defence operations, with its stand-by period starting from 1 January 2021.

Built around 13th Mechanised Battalion Levice, 13th Mechanised Battalion Group is also composed of a platoon from Engineer Battalion Sereď, an IGLA platoon from Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade Nitra, a CBRN platoon from CBRN Battalion Rožňava, elements of Deployable CIS Base Ružomberok, a tactical CIMIC and PSYOPS team from Martin, a HUMINT unit from ISTAR Battalion Prešov, an artillery platoon from Self-propelled Artillery Battalion Michalovce, and a logistical platoon from Combat Service Support Brigade Trenčín.