For the last few years, the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic have been undergoing the largest modernization in their history. The army has been partially re-equipped with modern Zuzana 2 howitzers, the first of 76 Patria AMVXP 8x8 armored fighting vehicles, and two F-16 fighter aircraft have been introduced into the arsenal. At the same time, a contract for the purchase of 152 CV9035 tracked infantry fighting vehicles has been signed. However, there are also planned acquisitions within the framework of the modernization of the Slovak Armed Forces that have not yet been successfully resolved. One of them is the persistent absence of modern cargo and logistics vehicles, which the defense ministry has been trying to procure for three years. 

At first glance, the acquisition of trucks may not sound as interesting as the purchase of new tanks or fighter aircraft, but it is a very important type of equipment, especially in terms of logistics and supply of units at the operational and tactical levels, when the necessary material (ammunition or fuel) is delivered from logistics centers and warehouses directly to the soldiers on the battlefield. The Comprehensive Defense Assessment of the Slovak Republic for 2022 clearly states that the security and logistics equipment of the Slovak army is beyond its useful life, which is mainly due to the fact that the backbone of the logistics and transport capacities of the Slovak Armed Forces is still made up of Praga V3S trucks from the times of Czechoslovakia. These trucks are no longer in production, and the availability of a sufficient number of spare parts is decreasing year by year. The Slovak army is armed with older and newer models of Tatra vehicles and several Aktis trucks.

The Ministry of Defence decided to respond to the unfavorable situation as early as 2021, when the Ministry's management, headed by the then Minister Jaroslav Naď, announced its intention to purchase 1,500 new modern trucks. The aim of the project was to purchase vehicles in various modifications and designs on a single chassis. In the same year, the Ministry of Defence carried out market research and familiarized itself with the portfolio of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles and Tatra Defence Slovakia.

Unfortunately, the project of acquiring new trucks for the Slovak Armed Forces has not moved forward much since 2021. In 2023, the then State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Marián Majer, stated that the acquisition of new trucks was unlikely to be realized before the early parliamentary elections in September, despite the fact that the Ministry had included it among its priority modernization projects. Meanwhile, the replacement of logistics equipment is also one of the key priorities within the Ministry of Defence's Long-Term Development Plan with a view to 2035.

However, the situation may improve in the near future, based on the conclusion of a framework agreement by the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic for the purchase of nearly 900 Tatra Force vehicles for the needs of the Czech Army. According to the Ministry itself, the framework agreement also creates space for alliance partners to join the purchase. According to available information, Slovakia is intensively interested in this possibility of purchasing Tatra trucks.

This option could be interesting for Slovakia for several reasons. The Slovak army has historical experience with Tatra vehicles and the possible introduction of new models would not be difficult. At the same time, the armies of the two countries would be more interconnected, and the production of Tatra vehicles for the Slovak Armed Forces could take place directly in Slovakia, which would increase the country's defense capability and improve the availability of spare parts, service, and logistical support.