Modernisation of the Army's training facilities is lagging behind - simulators and infrastructure are lacking
PRESS RELEASE ON AUDIT NO 24/12 – 26 May 2025
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) invested almost CZK 1.8 billion in the modernisation of the Czech Armed Forces' (CAF) training facilities between 2019 and 2024. Despite this, their condition still does not meet current needs, limiting soldier training and the development of the Army's capabilities. Among other issues, some training facilities do not meet the required standards, and the Army lacks sufficient modern simulators and training equipment. At the same time, limited progress in simulation technologies hinders the Army's ability to prepare for real threats and to participate in joint training with NATO forces. The SAO audit focused on funds spent by the MoD on CAF’s training facilities.
"The Ministry of Defence planned to carry out 80 projects to develop training facilities between 2018 and 2026. However, during the audited period, it repeatedly changed its requirements and priorities and postponed a number of investments. For example, it maintained only 25% of plans for acquiring movable assets and 48% of actions for renewing immovable infrastructure," said Petr Neuvirt, a Member of the SAO who led the audit. Frequent changes in priorities and delays in investment lead to uneconomical spending, he said. Prolonged delays in modernising training facilities increase the cost of operating the existing outdated infrastructure and slow the achievement of the CAF’s required combat readiness.
For example, the MoD planned to build a new training facility in Radošov by 2030, where over 2,000 soldiers were to undergo basic training and vehicle driving training annually. However, at the end of 2023, the MoD cancelled the project, prioritising the purchase of weapon systems, supplies and ammunition instead. As a result of insufficient driver training capacity, the Ministry has had to rely heavily on the services of civilian driving schools, which trained 63% of drivers between 2019 and 2023.
The unstable process of planning and implementation of investments have also negatively affected the construction of facilities for newly acquired modern equipment. For example, delays in building garages in Přáslavice and Bučovice will result in new tracked infantry fighting vehicles being parked in newly constructed garages in Vyškov for months or even years after delivery. This will require vehicle crews to commute tens of kilometres regularly, increasing transport and logistics costs.
During the audit, the SAO found that the Army still lacks a sufficient number of modern training equipment and simulators, as well as the infrastructure to integrate them into NATO training. The number and types of available simulators were not adequate for comprehensive soldier training. The Ministry has begun to invest in upgrading simulation and training technologies. For instance, it has purchased new components for the live simulation system and plans further expansion. For newly introduced combat vehicles, procurement includes a virtual simulator and training equipment. "It is clear that the development of simulation and training technologies will reduce costs and increase training efficiency," Petr Neuvirt added.
Between 2019 and 2023, the MoD failed to meet recruitment targets for active-duty soldiers and active reserve soldiers. The goal is to increase the number of active-duty soldiers to 30,000 and the number of active reserve soldiers to 10,000 by 2030. To achieve this, the Army would need to recruit at least 700 additional active-duty soldiers, and 550 more active reserve soldiers annually compared to years 2019–2023. The SAO warns that if recruitment increases significantly, existing training facilities could become overstretched. According to the SAO, the suspension of construction of the Radošov training centre, which was supposed to expand these capacities, has further exacerbated this issue.
Despite the risk of overstretching certain training facilities, the SAO audit showed that six of the 14 training facilities were used at only 31 to 47% of their maximum capacity during the audited period. These included combat vehicle driving and engineer training facilities. While training in 2020-2021 was affected by COVID-19 restrictions, other facilities (particularly in the Březina training area) achieved usage levels comparable to those in years not affected by the pandemic.
The SAO also examined selected investments and non-investment purchases on Army’s training facilities, totalling CZK 1.4 billion. The MoD used these funds effectively. However, the SAO found that some investment plans lacked documentation evaluating the efficiency of the funds spent, which violates legal requirements. It also highlighted the risk of uneconomical conduct stemming from the MoD's reliance on suppliers with exclusive technology rights.
Communication Department
Supreme Audit Office