Over the past few days, I was happy to learn that our subsidiary Glomex MS Polska has won a call for tender by the Polish Army and we will supply over 500 off-road Nissan Navara pickup trucks to our Northern neighbours over the next 3 years. It is worth noting that Poland had been in the process of choosing a new army vehicle for over 5 years and finally reached a decision on their sixth attempt. It reminded me a bit of the situation our army is facing right now.
One of the tasks within the modernisation of Czech Armed Forces (CAF) is to gradually replace the UAZ and Land Rover vehicles that undoubtedly deserve credit for their service to the CAF. It is high time for the CAF to acquire equipment that meets the requirements of today’s military logistics in terms of equipment advancement and functionality. When I served as the Chief of General Staff, I remember participating in a presentation of at least 15 different types of off-road multipurpose vehicles in Vyškov which could replace the vehicles listed above. I think that there are enough vehicles for the CAF to choose from, most of them from well-respected car brands that have well-earned, excellent reputations.
I wish those in charge of selecting the new army vehicle enough expertise and a little courage. I wish them courage so that the Army gets a vehicle that will meet its needs as well as the needs of the IZS (Integrated Emergency Service System) and, if necessary, state institutions in exceptional situations like the current one. In such cases, the vehicle could also be available to the President of the Czech Republic and regional governors. The important thing is that the vehicle has effective and unified logistical support. There is no harm in taking inspiration from our closest allies and see how they approach the modernization of their vehicle fleet. I think we can follow the example of our Northern neighbours not only when selecting vehicles…