Czech army and entering NATO

As of January 1993 the Army of the Czech Republic was established. Its development was defined mainly by the newly adopted military strategy. The most important step was the transition to three-level system of command and to brigade organization structure. The objective of these changes was to approximate the army to armies of developed countries and the create conditions for future membership in NATO.

Development of new military technologies, the end of the Cold War, dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and dissolution of the Soviet Union marked the end of the period of massive armies fighting a precisely defined enemy at a defined battlefield. Fast, mobile and highly qualified and specialized soldiers were needed instead and this fact influenced 
 January 1st, 2005 was the memorable day when the Army of the Czech Republic became fully professional. Tendencies toward professionalization of the army brought about changes in the military education system and in the method of servicemen preparation.

In 1994, the Czech Republic adopted the program called Partnership for Peace, which marked the beginning of direct contacts with NATO. Our soldiers began training in both national alliance military schools and courses. Joint training programs had a major importance –Czech Army took part in bilateral co-operation with Bundesweher or with French Army as well as in multinational programs as such as the Cooperative Challenge for commanding-general staff, which took place in 1996 in the Czech Republic and became the first major military training on the territory of a former Warsaw Pact country.

Then in July 1997 during the NATO summit in Madrid, the Czech Republic was invited to join the entry talks on alliance expansion. The major milestone was acceptance to NATO on March 12, 1999. The new Czech Army Doctrine was based on the state security and military strategy, and the Army shaped itself as an expert in radiation, chemical and biological protection units, in passive monitoring systems and provision of healthcare services.