In recent weeks, the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic, headed by Minister Robert Kaliňák, has announced further plans to modernize the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (AF SR). During the autumn, the defense ministry plans to focus on the possible acquisition of self-propelled wheeled howitzers, BIA. At the same time, it has started discussing the purchase of hundreds of additional 4x4 armored fighting vehicles.

The idea of acquiring additional howitzers for the Slovak Land Forces was discussed as early as August this year. At that time, Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák stated that the purchase of 16 more howitzers was under consideration. However, it would not involve the Zuzana 2 self-propelled artillery systems, of which 16 are already in the Slovak Armed Forces, with some being delivered to Ukraine. Instead, the ministry is now considering the BIA howitzers, which, like the Zuzana 2, are produced by the Slovak state-owned Konstrukta - Defence.

The BIA self-propelled wheeled howitzer is a new addition to the Konstrukta - Defence portfolio of 155mm caliber artillery systems. Like the Zuzana 2 or EVA systems, the BIA is mounted on a Tatra chassis in a 6x6 configuration and can carry up to 20 artillery shells and 20 powder charges. The BIA howitzer has a combat weight of 27 tonnes, making it lighter than the Zuzana howitzer. Its lower weight and overall smaller dimensions are key advantages, as highlighted by the Slovak Defence Minister. The BIA howitzer was first presented to the public at last year’s DSEI in London. According to the system's manufacturer, the BIA represents modern trends and the latest advancements in artillery systems, offering higher crew protection and a greater level of combat automation compared to the Zuzana 2 or EVA howitzers. Like other howitzers in the Konstrukta - Defence portfolio, the BIA can fire five rounds per minute in automatic mode and up to 13 rounds in three minutes.

The head of the Ministry of Defence has also justified the purchase of BIA howitzers by stating that this system is in demand internationally. For example, Malaysia has expressed interest in the BIA, and a reference order from the Slovak Armed Forces could enhance its marketability abroad. According to former Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, one of the advantages of the BIA howitzers is their lower price compared to the Zuzana 2. The public is expected to learn whether the current administration will procure the new BIA systems this autumn.

The second modernization project being discussed by the Ministry of Defence is the potential purchase of up to 400 new 4x4 armored fighting vehicles. According to Denník N, these vehicles would complement the fleet of JLTV 4x4s from the U.S. company Oshkosh, of which the Slovak army is set to receive 160 units under a contract signed last summer. This time, the Ministry of Defence will choose from vehicles of Czech-Slovak production. The shortlisted options include the Patriot from the CSG Group, the Gerlach from Zetor Engineering, and the Hron from the Slovak company DefTech.

Daniel Zmeko, Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces, has repeatedly emphasized the need to replenish this type of equipment. Several past administrations of the Ministry of Defence have attempted to purchase hundreds of these vehicles, but none of these efforts have been successful.

Both the purchase of new BIA howitzers and the acquisition of other 4x4 combat vehicles are still in the planning stages, and their future will be decided in the coming weeks and months. In both cases, however, opting for vehicles of domestic or Czech-Slovak origin would significantly support the domestic defense industry.