Czech Defence Minister Moves Forward with Slovak Joint Procurement and Domestic Industry Expansion

Czech and Slovak defence ministers Jaromír Zůna and Robert Kaliňák signed an agreement for the Czech Republic to join Slovakia’s framework contract for Tatra T‑815 military trucks. The deal aims to secure bulk discounts, improve interoperability and allow joint lifecycle support, with a plan to procure up to 15 of 25 possible vehicle variants by mid‑August. The ministries also agreed to explore a joint purchase of the SAM‑120 self‑propelled 120 mm mortar developed by Slovakia’s ZTS Špeciál.

In the same period, Zůna visited Czech defence firm Ray Service in Staré Město u Uherského Hradiště to launch a major investment phase expanding production capacity, new technologies and security measures. Ray Service supplies cable bundles, electromechanical assemblies and electronic systems for Czech and NATO/EU defence projects such as CV90, Leopard 2A8, F‑35, TITUS, Pandur II, CAESAR and SHORAD, underscoring the role of domestic industry in modernising the Czech Army.