A ceremonial parade marking the founding of the Pluk podpory nasaditelných sil was held in Rakovník on 6 October 2026; the unit replaced the former battalion on 1 October and is to have roughly 1200 soldiers.
A ceremonial parade marking the founding of the Pluk podpory nasaditelných sil was held on 6 October 2026 on Husovo náměstí in Rakovník, in the Central Bohemian Region. The unit officially became a regiment on 1 October 2026, when it replaced the Prapor podpory nasaditelných sil. The parade was attended by Defence Minister Jaromír Zůna (SPD) and the commander of the territorial forces of the Czech Armed Forces, Major General Petr Svoboda. The event also included awards to members of the armed forces, among others plaques of the Chief of the General Staff for saving human lives.[1][2][3]
Tasks and capacities of the regiment
The unit provides troops on the move with temporary accommodation and meals, technical and medical support, fuel and other services. Zůna and the regiment commander Martin Kuna told the Czech News Agency that it is the only such unit in the Czech Republic.[1] According to the minister, during convoy movements the regiment can provide accommodation and meals for up to 500 people and technical support for 200 vehicles a day. In a temporary assembly area (Staging Area) it is to be up to 1000 people and 350 vehicles.[1][3] The regiment is subordinate to the territorial forces command.[1] According to iDNES.cz, it is not a combat unit with heavy equipment but the support base without which movements of domestic and allied troops across Czech territory would be exceptionally difficult.[3]
Zůna said that logistics functions in the army are gaining importance within allied defence planning, and described host nation support (Host Nation Support) as a step towards meeting one of the Czech Republic's key commitments to NATO.[1] The unit also takes part in preparing international exercises. It has long cooperated with the 163rd Logistics Battalion of the German army and with logistics units of other allies, for example from the USA, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium; its members also serve in foreign operations in Lithuania and Latvia.[1]
Number of soldiers
According to earlier reports, the battalion had around 500 soldiers. The number is to rise to roughly 1200 in the coming years, which according to commander Kuna follows from the army development concept up to 2035. Kuna said the unit is looking for cooks, mechanics and drivers, among others.[1][3] According to iDNES.cz, the founding of the regiment comes with a delay of a year: when the battalion was founded at the start of 2020, conversion into a regiment and full strength were expected as early as 2025.[3]
Earlier development
The Prapor podpory nasaditelných sil was founded on 1 January 2020 and built up capabilities in host nation support and in the reception, concentration and onward movement of troops. It reached initial operational capability two years later and full operational capability as of 1 January 2025.[2] Zůna said that over six years the Rakovník soldiers provided support to allied units 26 times during their stay in or movement across Czech territory. According to him, he proposed founding the battalion in connection with the 2016 NATO summit in Warsaw, which ranked mobility and resilience among its priorities.[2][3]
Related articles: Czech Armed Forces, Jaromír Zůna, Pluk podpory nasaditelných sil, Rakovník
Chronology
- — A ceremonial parade marking the establishment of the Deployable Forces Support Regiment, which replaced the previous battalion on 1 October and is to have 1,200 soldiers, took place in Rakovník in the Central Bohemian Region. ČTK / České noviny Ekonomický deník