Elite Slovenian military brigade fails NATO combat readiness test
The elite 72nd Brigade of the Slovenian Armed Forces has failed the NATO combat readiness test, calling into question Slovenia’s ability to fulfill its obligations to the Alliance, reports Delo.si news outlet.
Slovenia is supposed to ensure the combat readiness of the 800 soldiers of the 72nd Brigade of its Armed Forces by April 1. However, last week, the soldiers of this grouping failed a combat readiness test, and some soldiers received frostbite due to poor-quality equipment.
Determination of the battalion’s combat readiness using the CREVAL method is the last phase in confirming combat readiness. The NATO assessment team evaluated the readiness of the battalion tactical group in five areas, and determined that the Brigade was "not combat ready" in four.
The Slovenian military demonstrated a failing result, despite the fact that they spent 18 months conducting exercises in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia. In practice, this means that the international operations activities of the tactical battalion group are in question.
In addition, six soldiers needed medical attention because of frostbite. The Slovenian Ministry of Defense had supplied new boots for the military that were completely unsuitable for winter operations.
Slovenian Defense Minister Andreja Katic was outraged by this information, which she discovered from the media. She blamed the unpreparedness of the soldiers on Chief of Staff Andrej Osterman. Katic and Osterman have had extremely poor relations for an extended period of time.
Germany plans to triple the number of soldiers participating in NATO exercises to contain Russia.