HZS and Armed Forces to Elevate Cooperation in Mountain Operations to New Level

Trencin, 30 October (TASR) - Representatives of the Mountain Rescue Service (HZS), the Slovak Armed Forces' Special Operations Forces (SSO) and the Air Force signed a new cooperation agreement in Trencin at the beginning of this week to bring the effectiveness of rescue operations to a new level, TASR was told by SSO spokesperson Mario Pazicky on Thursday. The new agreement replaces the one signed on 27 October 2023 and is aimed at expanding the partnership with the special forces to include direct support from the Air Force. SSO Commander Jaroslav Kram believes their cooperation will lay the groundwork for broader coordination also for future generations. "Conducting operations in the mountains with the support of air forces and unmanned systems will elevate both our training and performance in real environments to a whole new level," said Kram. HZS head Martin Matusek stressed that from the perspective of mountain rescuers, the agreement will bring more effective transport of materiel, professional air training for rescuers, faster evacuation and greater operational range in hard-to-access areas. Air Force commander Adolf Daubner highlighted the fact that the agreement broadens the sharing of good practices and information for safe movement in the mountains and allows for the deployment of aircraft in search and evacuation operations. "The agreement will allow us to conduct joint training and, if necessary, joint missions. I especially appreciate the possibility of training for the crews of our military helicopters in high mountains," said Daubner. jrg