Status: 12/19/2022 9:13 p.m
The German air defense system MANTIS is to be deployed in Slovakia. This was announced by Defense Minister Lambrecht during her visit to Bratislava. It is also intended to protect a plant where German weapons are repaired for Ukraine.
Germany wants to support Slovakia with additional air defense systems. The German short-range defense system, MANTIS, is to be deployed in eastern Slovakia, which borders directly on Ukraine, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht announced during her visit to Slovakia. The SPD politician has not yet given any details, but the ongoing negotiations are only about technical issues that will be resolved within weeks or a few months.
MANTIS are anti-aircraft guns that can be used against approaching aircraft and helicopters, but also against rockets, artillery shells and drones. The location in eastern Slovakia is also intended to protect the repair center, in which heavy weapons delivered from Germany that were damaged during use in Ukraine are repaired.
First “Leopard 2” handed over
During her visit, Lambrecht also symbolically handed over the first “Leopard 2” tank to Slovakia. A total of 15 of these tanks are to be delivered to the country in a ring exchange by the end of 2023, which had previously given 30 Soviet-designed infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine.
Visit to German soldiers
For Monday evening, Lambrecht is planning to visit German soldiers who have been on two missions in Slovakia since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Several Patriot anti-aircraft units are stationed there to secure Slovakian airspace after the country surrendered its Soviet-designed anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine. In addition, Bundeswehr soldiers together with soldiers from other NATO countries form a multinational “battle group” to protect NATO’s eastern flank.
“Puma” problems overshadow Lambrecht’s visit
The minister’s visit was overshadowed by the crisis surrounding the modern German infantry fighting vehicle “Puma”. Over the weekend it became known that all 18 “Puma” tanks deployed had broken down during an exercise. They were to be deployed as part of the VJTF NATO Rapid Reaction Force as early as January.
“NATO, our allies, can rely 100 percent on the commitments from Germany,” said Lambrecht in Bratislava. This also applies to the VJTF. The defective “Pumas” for the NATO mission are now to be replaced by predecessor models of the Marder type.