Czech Republic: Armed Forces to Boost Numbers by 30 Percent

Agence France-Presse

The Czech Republic announced it will increase the size of its Armed Forces by 30 percent after the government approved raising defense spending.

Then-Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky said the number of people in the Armed Forces would rise from about 23,000 to 30,000 “within the next five to seven years.”

“The Czech Army is currently among the smallest in Europe in relation to its population,” he said. The Czech Republic has a population of 10.5 million.

“The list of wanted professions is very wide,” he said. “We need drivers as much as we need surgeons and pilots.”

In July 2017, the government approved the purchase of 80 Italian-made light armored vehicles and 62 multirole armored vehicles, sourced from French and Czech companies, for a total cost of U.S. $410 million.