Germany to give Slovakia Mantis Air Defense Systems

Germany will give Bratislava two sets of the MANTIS air defense system to protect Slovakia’s eastern border with Ukraine, the Slovak defense ministry said.

“Slovakia will receive the systems free of charge and permanently,” the ministry spokeswoman Martina Kakascikova told AFP.

“The training of Slovak soldiers to use the system will begin in the coming months,” Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said on Facebook.

The ministry did not, however, specify the date of the arrival of the system in Slovakia, an EU and NATO member country.

“The agreement to acquire these modern systems is an appreciation of our unequivocal support for Ukraine and a responsible step by the Alliance,” Nad added.

According to Nad, the systems are worth around €120 million.

Each of the two systems consists of up to eight automatic weapon stations, two radar stations, and a command post, according to the ministry.

The package from Germany also includes an overview radar with a range of up to 100 kilometers (60 miles) as well as training, Kakascikova said.