11/2011/2011 REVIEW InIn thethe Rolerole ofof CombatCombat LifeLife SaversSavers LLearnearn mmoreore aboutabout ooperationsperations iinvolvingnvolving CCzechzech ArmedArmed ForcesForces serviceservice personnelpersonnel inside.inside. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense met with Minister Vondra conclusions, the proposal for sharing early warning data bilaterally beca- me outdated. “In this context, we naturally thanked for the older pre-Lisbon offer ad indeed we concluded that in the light of Lisbon and other developments the original offer will not be needed,“ Minister Vondra said in a press con- ference following the meeting with William Lynn. “We will seek other ways for the Czech Republic to possibly join the NATO system in the future, but that however does not change anything in our support to the NATO missile defense architecture,“ Minister Vondra commented. According to him, the Czech Republic has always sought for the U.S. long-range missile defense system to be incorporated into NATO structures. According to U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, the U.S. had not with- drawn their offer for setting up the SEW center. ”It is simply a matter that Wednesday, June 15, 2011, the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Re- public was the venue to a meeting of the Czech Defense Minister Alexandr Vondra with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn. The mee- ting attendees also included the U.S. Ambassador in the Czech Republic, H.E. Norman Eisen. Their discussions reviewed the Czech-U.S. defense relationship that has intensifi ed over the past twelve months. The dialogue centered on missile defense, particularly the Shared Early Warning (SEW) project that envisioned locating two computer terminals in Czech Armed Forces installations for the Czech Republic to have realti- me access to information on ballistic missiles launched as tracked by U.S. early warning sensors. The offer was initially presented to the Czech Re- public in November 2009 as one of many forms that bilateral cooperation between the Czech Republic and the United States takes. The 2010 NATO Summit in Lisbon adopted missile defense as a com- mon mission for the Alliance and set a range of specifi c requirements for capabilities the future NATO missile defense system will deliver to pro- vide protection to European Allies. One of the elements of that is sharing information on missile threats with all NATO Allies, including the Czech Republic, directly from HQ NATO. In the light of the Lisbon Summit was overshadowed by developments,“ Lynn underscored for the media and went on to say: ”There are many strands for the strategic cooperation between our two countries to follow and develop along.“ Minister Vondra also confi rmed there was a potential for expanding bi- lateral cooperation. ”We have a range of other fi elds where we have recent- ly started to work very specifi cally to the effect of identifying possible co- operation between the Czech Republic and U.S. with practical outcomes.“ The discussions also involved other topics – cooperation on research, helicopter crew training and theatre mobility using helicopters. In the meeting, Minister Vondra introduced to Deputy Secretary Lynn the princi- pal priorities for Czech Armed Forces development outlined in the White Book on Defense that was recently endorsed by the Czech Cabinet. After meeting the Czech Minister of Defense and following the press conference, the senior U.S. offi cials visited the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic to be hosted by the CHOD, General Vlas- timil Picek. Dear Reader, You may rightfully ask what it is for a magazine - A review - that you Contents just opened. The answer is quite simple but let me offer you a little bit of history fi rst. Back in 1994, the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Four Afghani Crosses 2 Republic started publishing a quarterly titled ”Armáda České republiky”. From January 1995, the magazine was published four times a year in Now or Never 6 a dedicated English version with the title of ”Army of the Czech Re- public”. The reason was obvious: to reach out and provide the foreign Fighting to Win Confi dence readership, primarily NATO nations’ armed forces personnel, with in- of Every Single Soldier and Airman 8 formation on developments in the Czech military that was starting to signifi cantly engage in various activities of the Partnership for Peace Face-2-Face with AWACS 10 programme at that time. Thus, many readers had the opportunity to read about training and equipment of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, involvement of Czech forces in operations in the Balkans as An Archbishop Instead of a Pilot 12 well as participation in foreign exercises. In 1997, the magazine was renamed and published with the title of Czech Army Today until De- Mentors with fi nger on the trigger 15 cember 1999. From January 2000, foreign readers were able to get quarterly copies of the periodical named Czech Armed Forces Today. Elite Tiger Air Manoeuvres 18 The logo and title of the Armed Force quarterly was changed again in 2008 as a slight modifi cation was made turning ”Today” into ”Review”. In the role of Combat Life Savers 22 Periodicity also altered over the years and got settled in 2008 on semi- annual publication. Over the past fi fteen years, the magazine sought to present information on the Armed Force of the Czech Republic, from A Valley Too Thorny 24 1999 with focus on progressive integration into NATO structures, per- formance of missions from Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of Opera- Together in Afghanistan 27 tion IFOR to today’s deployments of Czech Forces in Afghanistan for Operation ISAF. Pirates from the Horn of Africa 30 2011 has brought about another renaming for the journal as the title of Czech Armed Forces Review has changed to A Review, and that is the In Search of a Universal Soldier 34 periodical you are now browsing through. Reason for that? Progressi- ve introduction of a single visual style for the MoD public diplomacy One of the Principal Pillars 38 endeavour, with A standing for the Armed Forces. Consequently, the MoD publishes A Report (Czech) and A Review (English). The coverage remains the same: we are printing for you, the kind reader, a content Raven eyes over Logar 42 covering the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic across the spectrum of its operations. In a new role 44 With wishes of enjoyable reading, Jan Procházka, Editor-in-Chief Under Dragon’s Protection 48 Deadly Jungle 50 Published by MoD CR, Public Diplomacy Department Tychonova 1, 160 01 Praha 6, Czech Republic www.army.cz Under the Biblical Mount 54 Identifi cation number: 60162694 Address: Rooseveltova 23, 161 05 Praha 6, Czech Republic The Seeker of Lost Destinies 56 Phone: +420 973 215 553, +420 973 215 786 Editor-in-chief: Jan Procházka, e-mail: [email protected] From the School-Leaving Exam Layout: Andrea Bělohlávková Translation: Jan Jindra Cover photos by Daniel Hlaváč Directly to the Air Force 58 Distributed by MoD PDD – Production Section Rooseveltova 23, 161 05 Praha 6, Czech Republic The Hunter of War 60 Oľga Endlová, tel. +420 973 215 563 Printed by: EUROPRINT, a. s. Dukla is the Club of My Heart 62 ISSN 1803-2125 Registration number: MK ČR E 18227 A Fateful Story 64 Published: June 2011 White Book on Defence Avalanche everything that stood in its way, including the and you will see we are not doing anything ex- tasks and timelines to deliver them. We have but also the method used to develop it – in the It is always vital to have enough courage for one to stand Czech vehicle and two soldiers recovering ma- traordinary – all of us seek to achieve savings by continuously updated relevant Committees of principal NATO Defence Policy and Planning of Mud teriel. They were Kolja Martynov and Miloš cutting bureaucracy, rationalising command and the Parliament of the Czech Republic and I be- Committee. up and fi ght for what is right and risk life and limb. and Rocks Plášil. Other personnel on patrol were lucky control systems, closing bases and phasing out lieve we are enjoying support across the poli- And I am sure the response will be positive. enough to be caught just by the edge of the ava- weapon systems without future potential. tical spectrum for the proposed measures. And It was not the ¿ rst lanche. The situation was critical. The storm did ¿ nally a detailed roadmap, supervision and de- The policy document should be in effect for at Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic, Alexandr Vondra fatality among the not fade out, and there was impenetrable dark- The changes at hand will impact the Land For- cision-making on implementation will be provi- least ten years. May possible changes in politi- service personnel of ness all around. The convoy was moreover split ces, Air Force, the Military Police and other ded by the Minister, who will regularly update cal leadership impact on its implementation? the Armed Forces of by additional two landslides. It was necessary to services, and in spite of that only two of their the Government on practical implementation of Nothing is certain in this world and – how the Czech Republic. render urgent aid to the wounded soldiers; it was representatives were on the commission (origi- the White Book. Voskovec and Werich sung – ”nobody should We have placed al- momentarily out of question to search the two nally only one) – General Žižka and General Pa- ever take anything for granted“. Nevertheless ready four crosses swept by the avalanche. vel. Was it suffi cient and were their voices and Bringing the White Book to life will require we did everything we could for the White Book under the sharp Hin- Martynov had his back turned to the ava- opinions often heard? amending some provisions and laws as well as to enjoy support of all political parties and so for du Kush peaks.