Slovakia to Send Up to 101 Troops to NATO Eastern Sentry

Bratislava, 26 August (TASR) - Up to 101 members of the Slovak Armed Forces are expected to take part in bolstering the protection of the airspace of NATO-member states on the Alliance's eastern flank as part of the Eastern Sentry activity, with the government approving the proposal to deploy them on Wednesday. "The purpose of the deployment is to strengthen NATO capabilities in monitoring the airspace of NATO-member states, early warning, creating a common air situation picture and supporting NATO's integrated air and missile defence on the eastern flank," stated the Defence Ministry in its explanatory report. It added that the deployment is meant to contribute to deterrence while increasing and testing the interoperability and readiness of the Slovak Armed Forces to operate in a multinational environment, as well as contributing to the fulfilment of allied commitments. Once the mandate is approved by Parliament, Slovak troops are expected to assist in monitoring the airspace of NATO-member states, producing and exchanging radar information, providing early warning and creating a common air situation picture. They will also carry out tasks under NATO's Integrated Air and Missile Defence System (NATINAMDS). They are expected to operate primarily in Poland and Romania. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) declared after the cabinet session that the Slovak troops are due to contribute to identifying drone threats and will deploy new 3D radar devives operated by the Slovak military. "We want to test these radar devices in live operations. I think that this will not only contribute to protecting the airspace of our allied partners in Poland and Romania, but also provide real-world experience with the new capability we have," he said, referring to the use of counter-drone radar equipment. NATO's Eastern Sentry activity was launched on 19 September 2025 in response to several airspace violations involving the territory of NATO-member states. No end date has been set for the activity. mf/df