The Czechoslovak Group (CSG), a key partner at this year’s Future Forces Forum (FFF), showcased an extensive range of military equipment, systems, ammunition, and innovative solutions. This steadily growing conglomerate not only builds on the legacy of Czech industry, such as Tatra vehicle development, but also pioneers new technologies that address both current and emerging security threats. Below are interviews with key representatives from various CSG companies.

Picture: Pandur II 8x8 EVO or Morana 2 or innovations and future projects of Czechoslovak Group / CZ DEFENCE

In an interview for CZ DEFENCE, Jiří Doležel, Sales Director of Excalibur Army, said that Excalibur Army and the entire CSG group have come a long way in recent years. "It has evolved from basically a repairer of older military vehicles, to a manufacturer of new equipment and a supplier of ammunition," Doležel said. This statement is illustrated, for example, by his own developments in the artillery systems and howitzers segment. The latest product so far is the Morana howitzer, which represents the company's most advanced and modern 155 mm calibre system with a 52 calibre barrel. The added value is the automatic reloading, inertial navigation, state-of-the-art fire control system or the sensor for sensing the muzzle velocity so that the crew is able to make corrections on the ballistic computer after each shot and achieve a precise hit. One of the other benefits is the mobility of the howitzer. "By being on an eight-wheel Tatra chassis, the Morana achieves standard Tatra chassis speeds," says Excalibur Army's sales director. The Morana weighs about 33 tonnes and is capable of moving at speeds of up to 110 km/h. "Thanks to the 8x8 chassis, we are able to maintain high mobility in the field. The actual preparation of the system for firing after reaching the firing point is less than 1 minute. It is approximately 50-53 seconds. It arrives, fires, goes into march configuration and disappears.

The risk of drone attacks must also be taken into account in the protective features applied to current technology. This change in tactics is confirmed by both the Ukrainian battlefield and the conflict in the Middle East. The Excalibur Army is therefore intensively involved in the protection against unmanned aerial vehicles, but is also addressing the development of drones themselves as a means of combat. "For one thing, it's anti-drone protection, and it's obviously the active use of drones. In terms of active use, our sister company, MSM Group, is involved in the development and production of munitions parts for drones. In terms of drone protection, there we have for example an interesting joint project that beautifully demonstrates the cooperation within the group and the synergy between companies like Retia, Tatra and Excalibur Army. We are going to build a body on the Tatra chassis platform under the Excalibur Army banner, put in a radar and anti-drone solution manufactured by Retia, and supplement it with some hard-kill solution for drone elimination," says Jiří Doležel, Sales Director of Excalibur Army, describing the synergy within the CSG holding. In the interview (video at the beginning of this article), you can also learn more about the development of the Morana 2 howitzer, the company's future plans, for example in the production of the Caesar 8x8 cannon, or the extent of the company's assistance in flood relief in North Moravia, for example by installing bridge structures.

Another CSG subsidiary, Tatra Defence Vehicle (TDV), brought the TITUS 6x6 armoured vehicle to this year's Prague exhibition in a modification designed for a foreign customer. Robert Vent, TDV's Sales Director, mentioned at the beginning of the interview that the Czech Army took delivery of all 62 TITUS vehicles in the three variants that were requested in June this year. Another expected result of TDV's work is the Pandur II 8x8 EVO project. It is an improved version that surpasses the current vehicle in all parameters, which is used, for example, by the Army of the Czech Republic. At the moment, our engineers and technologists are working on all the modifications so that by the middle of next year we will be able to present the first prototype that will meet all the requirements for a 21st century vehicle," Vent explains. Part of the solution is also the issue of the weapons superstructure. According to Robert Vent, TDV has tested a total of four variants. Other changes are then the elevation of the machine's features. "For example, the ballistic protection reaches up to level 4, whereas the current variant has reached a maximum of level 3. Of course, the weight of the vehicle itself has also increased and therefore all the driving parameters had to be improved, which are much better than the current vehicle. This is also due to the fact that the difference between the current vehicle and the previous one is almost two decades. A lot of things have evolved in that time," says TDV's sales director in an interview.

The new armoured vehicle TADEAS on the Tatra 6x6 chassis, which is primarily intended for export, is also attracting a lot of attention."We are basing our concept on the type of vehicles such as TITUS.By making some modifications, we have achieved more space inside the vehicle.Thanks to the additional boxes that we have moved from the inside to the outside of the vehicle, the volume has really increased significantly.For example, the vehicle has already been sold to Poland, where we have a customer, and we are currently negotiating with other countries for further orders," says Robert Vent, describing the interest in the TADEAS vehicle.

TDV also supplies Tatra Trucks with armoured cabs, including brand new armoured cabs for Tatra Force 3rd generation vehicles.TDV will also supply cabs for the new Caesar guns for the Czech Army.Similarly, the company plans to participate in the production of the Leopard 2A8 tank, not only for the Czech Armed Forces.I don't want to give full details yet, but let's say that we are well on our way to being able to provide a certain part of the product for this company, not only for the Czech Republic, but globally wherever this company supplies its products," Robert Vent, TDV's sales director, told CZ DEFENCE.

Další dynamicky se rozvíjející částí skupiny CSG je slovenská firma MSM Group. Ta se zabývá mimo jiné výrobou velkorážové munice. „V našem holdingu máme tři firmy věnující se munici. Prvně bych rád připomněl ZVS Holding. Na Slovensku máme dvě výrobní továrny, kde vyrábíme 155mm velkorážovou munici. Dále máme ve skupině VOP Nováky. Ta se zaměřuje na výrobu cvičné munice a také na životní cyklus munice. A třetí firma zaměřená na výrobu munice je FMG Granada ve Španělsku. Tam se zaměřujeme na výrobu tankové munice 120 mm a 105 mm munice,“ představuje výrobní portfolio obchodní manažer MSM Group Jakub Fedor. 

As part of the expansion of its activities, the Slovak holding company invested EUR 32 million in a new production line at its plant in Snina."We have modernised the production facilities, automated the parts of production that we could automate, and also created better conditions for the staff. With these investments, we have opened dozens of new jobs," Jakub Fedor says in the interview, adding that he is not worried about the effectiveness of this investment, because the demand for this production on the commercial market is great."We try to sign long-term contracts for 3, 5 and 10 years to cover the increase in capacity," Fedor adds. MSM Group is a global player and therefore supplies ammunition to the whole world. In this case, too, corporate synergies pay off. Especially when the Spanish ammunition company Fábrica de Municiones de Granada, known by the acronym FMG, is part of the holding.

Another important part of the MSM Group holding is the factory in Nováky, which deals with the life cycle of ammunition. "We have clients who want to revise ammunition.We have the machines and the experts who can determine whether the ammunition is suitable for demilitarisation or for refurbishment.Not many companies in the world do that," Fedor points out.

However, MSM Group is also involved in the development of large calibre ammunition. "It is a Martin Development company that is focused on mobile airport towers and containers.Their main product is a specialised container in a design already in use by armies in Europe, including NATO member states.Another important product is mobile air traffic control towers for small field airports or, in the case of an emergency solution, for larger airports," adds Jakub Fedor, Sales Director of MSM Group.

Our last interview was with a representative of Karbox, a leading Czech manufacturer of containers and container and box bodies. This subsidiary of the CSG group has teamed up with the CTU UCEEB (University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings of CTU) as part of a grant project of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. This has resulted in a facility for extracting water from dry and hot air environments called EWA (Emergency Water from Air).This system won the Innovation Awards 2024 at the Future Forces Exhibition 2024, which are awarded to the best innovative products or solutions."This product, which won the Best Innovation Award at Future Forces Forum, is essentially a scaled-down product of the original solution called S.A.W.E.R., which was the Czech Republic's main exhibit at the Expo in Dubai. It's a device that is really innovative compared to the previously common condensation-type devices that can extract water in an environment such as a seashore or tropical area. But this device can separate or extract water from air that is dry and hot.

Our last interview was with a representative of Karbox, a leading Czech manufacturer of containers and container and box bodies. 

This subsidiary of the CSG group has teamed up with the CTU UCEEB (University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings of CTU) as part of a grant project of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. This has resulted in a facility for extracting water from dry and hot air environments called EWA (Emergency Water from Air).This system won the Innovation Awards 2024 at the Future Forces Exhibition 2024, which are awarded to the best innovative products or solutions."This product, which won the Best Innovation Award at Future Forces Forum, is essentially a scaled-down product of the original solution called S.A.W.E.R., which was the Czech Republic's main exhibit at the Expo in Dubai. It's a device that is really innovative compared to the previously common condensation-type devices that can extract water in an environment such as a seashore or tropical area. But this device can separate or extract water from air that is dry and hot.