TheArmed Forces of theSlovak Republic were divided from theCzechoslovak Army after dissolution ofCzechoslovakia on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joinedNATO on 29 March 2004.[5] From 2006 the army transformed into a fully professional organization and compulsory military service was abolished.[6][7][8] Slovak armed forces numbered 20,982 uniformed personnel and 4,500 civilians in 2025.[9]
The Armed Forces consist of:
General Staff
Ground Forces
Slovak Air Force
Military police
National Defense ForceJoint Operational Command inBanská Bystrica[10](Commander:2 Star General)
The Slovak Air Force, officially theAir Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, has been defending Slovak airspace since independence in 1993. The Slovak Air Force currently comprises onewing offighters, one wing of utilityhelicopters, one wing of transport aircraft, and oneSAM brigade. It operates around 20 combat aircraft, as well as 10 helicopters from 3 air bases: Malacky/Kuchyňa Air Base, Sliač Air Base, Prešov Air Base. The Air Force is currently part of the NATO Integrated Air and Missiles Defense System –NATINADS.
Source:[23]
Military Medical Command inRužomberok[37]
Fundamental changes in the development of the armed forces occurred on January 1, 1998, when Act No. 370/1997 Coll. on Military Service abolished the term professional soldier, replacing it with the new term professional soldier. While this Act was in force, the Slovak Republic joined the NATO military alliance on March 29, 2004. A historically unique phenomenon occurred on January 1, 2006, when basic military service was abolished. On this day, the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic became fully professionalized and began a new stage in their existence. Every soldier is obliged to take the Military Oath..
Military education in Slovakia is centered around theArmed Forces Academy of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik(AOS) inLiptovský Mikuláš. It is the country’s main institution for training future professional officers of the Slovak Armed Forces.
The academy offersbachelor’s and master’s degree programs in military and technical fields, focusing on leadership, defense strategy, engineering, and cybersecurity. It also providesspecialized training for active-duty personnel and supportsNATO-aligned education standards.[47]
The National Defense FroceSlovak: Národné Obranné Sily in shortNOS. They function de facto as areserve force. NOS membership is open to Slovak citizens aged18 to 65, including both men and women. Prospective members must be physically and mentally fit, law‑abiding, reliable, and permanent residents of Slovakia with citizenship. NOS organizes three categories of voluntary reserves:[48]
![Used by soldiers in reserve, originally it was standard uniform of slovak soldiers from 1995 to 2007[49]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aSlovak_Troops_in_Afghanistan.jpg)
![Uniform of the Honor Guard of the Slovak Armed Forces[50]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aMinisterial_Conference_on_the_Occasion_of_the_Remembrance_for_the_Victims_of_the_totalitarian_Regimes_2016-08-23-22_(29086228871).jpg)
![Uniform of the Honor Guard of the President of the Slovak Republic[51]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aCestnastraz.jpg)
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![Honor Guard of the President of the Slovak Republic in the battalion's ceremonial uniform (based on Slovak Uprising uniforms)[52]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aDOORSTEP_BRATISLAVA_SUMMIT_16_SEPTEMBER_2016_(29091532793).jpg)
As of 2025, Slovakia has 240 military personnel deployed inCyprus forUNFICYPUnited Nations ledpeace support operations, 50 troops deployed inBosnia and Herzegovina forEUFOR Althea and 135 troops deployed inLatvia forNATO Enhanced Forward Presence.[53]
The country has been an active participant in US- and NATO-led military actions and involved in manyUnited Nations peacekeeping military missions:UNPROFOR in the Yugoslavia (1992–1995),UNOMUR in Uganda and Rwanda (1993-1994),UNAMIR in Rwanda (1993-1996),UNTAES in Croatia (1996-1998),UNOMIL in Liberia (1993-1997),MONUA in Angola (1997-1999),SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1999-2003),OSCE mission in Moldova (1998-2002),OSCE mission in Albania (1999),KFOR in Kosovo (1999-2002),UNGCI in Iraq (2000-2003),UNMEE in Ethiopia and Eritrea (2000-2004),UNMISET in East Timor (2001),EUFOR Concordia in Macedonia (2003),UNAMSIL in Sierra Leone (1999-2005),EU supporting action to African Union in Darfur (2006),Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (2002-2005),Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq (2003-2007),UNDOF at the borders of Israel and Syria (1998-2008) .[54]
Since the independence of Slovakia in 1993, there have been 60 uniformed personnel deaths in the line of service to the United Nations and NATO (as of 30 April 2018).[55][56][57]
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