The Czech government declared on 5 March its intention to progressively raise defence expenditures to 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated that defence spending must grow to meet the new geopolitical realities. “Increasing defence spending is important for security, it is necessary and essential,” Fiala said, adding it was also an important opportunity for the economy.
According to the sanctioned plan, defence expenditures are set to increase to 2.2 percent of GDP by 2026, with subsequent annual increments of 0.2 percent until the target of 3 percent is achieved by 2030, as stated by Defence Minister Jana Cernochova on the social media platform X.
“We must take greater responsibility for our own security, no one else will do it for us. We need to invest more in our defence, and we must do so responsibly, efficiently, and rationally,” she added.
A significant contributor to the rise in expenditure is the necessity to support ongoing military modernization initiatives. The Czech government has entered into agreements for the acquisition of F-35A fighter aircraft, CV90 infantry fighting vehicles, and Embraer C-390 transport aircraft. Additionally, future procurement strategies encompass the acquisition of Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks.
The Defence Ministry has reported that the Czech Republic fulfilled its obligation to allocate 2 percent of its GDP to defence, in accordance with the requirements set forth by NATO in the previous year.
