Prague, July 16 (CTK) – The Czech military will establish a new paratrooper regiment in the autumn of 2020, which will be gradually developed and equipped to attain all its planned full capabilities by 2026 at the latest, Chief-of-Staff Ales Opata told journalists on Monday.
The battalion will be built on the basis of the current 43rd paratrooper battalion seated in Chrudim, east Bohemia.
It will acquire equipment including light armoured vehicles, 100 of which will be bought specially for this purpose, Opata and Ivo Zelinka, the officer in charge of building the regiment, said.
Zelinka said the military would extend its ranks by recruiting 5,000 troops and establishing “a third manoeuvring element” in addition to its 4th rapid deployment brigade and the 7th mechanised brigade.
The new regiment’s tasks will include those of rapid reaction forces. As a result, it can be deployed depending on a concrete request within hours or days, brought in either by aircraft or vehicles.
The paratrooper regiment is to fulfil ten doctrinal tasks including airborne paratrooper operations, actions in the enemy’s rear, delaying combat, attack operations and the rescuing of pilots and Czech citizens who got stuck abroad due to a war conflict.
In the past 15 years, the Czech paratroopers mainly took part in stabilising and consulting operations, Zelinka said.
The regiment’s equipment will consist of light combat vehicles, drones, modern anti-tank missiles and guided missiles.
The military would not disclose the regiment’s planned size.
The current battalion will “multiply” to include several hundred newcomers, most of them probably recruited from among civilians, Zelinka said.
