The Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Republic, General Karel Řehka, stated that to strengthen the army in the coming years, about 7,000 more soldiers need to be added.
According to Radio Prague International, Řehka noted that the Czech army will require an expansion of 7,500 personnel due to changes in the global security situation.
He emphasized that the Czech army was primarily built as an expeditionary force, and in light of new tasks, a redistribution of resources is necessary.
As of the beginning of last year, the Czech Ministry of Defense had 27,826 conscripts and 4,266 active reservists, while the total number of active soldiers was around 24,000. Řehka also pointed out that by 2030, the number of professional soldiers in the Czech army should reach 30,000, and active reservists should number 10,000.
Additionally, according to Řehka, NATO’s new goals for military capability development require a force of 37,500 soldiers to meet the needs of collective deterrence and defense.
