Armed Forces Day (AFD) 2025 in Brezová pod Bradlom attracts thousands of visitors

On Sunday 28 September 2025, servicemen and women along with the SVK Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces leadership celebrated Armed Forces Day (AFD) 2025 in Brezová pod Bradlom. Over 13,000 visitors were out in the field below Baranec Hill to join in with the soldiers' biggest day of celebration in the year.

Armed Forces Day commemorates the first armed uprising of the Slovaks for their right to national self-determination in Upper Hungary. The Hurbanist Volunteers, led by Ján Francisci, won their first in a series of battles near Brezová pod Bradlom on 22 September 1848.

Senior MOD and Armed Forces leaders paid tribute to the fallen in war at the General M. R. Štefánik Tomb Monument on Bradlo Hill and at the Battle of the Hurbanist Volunteers Memorial near Brezová pod Bradlom.

While our soldiers stood in formation in Brezová's General Štefánik Square, Chief of Defence General Daniel Zmeko and Deputy Minister of Defence Martin Vojtašovič presented medals to serving and ex-service personnel, families of posthumous awardees, and personalities who spread the good name of our Armed Forces far and wide. Colonel Jaroslav Jakub and Lieutenant Colonel Mário Pažický received exceptional promotions for their dedicated service to the nation.

Combining static and dynamic displays with 600 soldiers and 130 military assets on the ground and in the air, key highlights of the programme included: an air display from an Army parachute display team, Slovak Air Force (SVK AF) flypasts, Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Military Police (MP) demonstrations including hand-to-hand combat and a direct action raid with a military working dog (MWD), a Slovak Armed Forces Guard of Honour (GOH) show, and music performances by the Military Music Band of the Slovak Armed Forces, Peter Cmorik, and Kandráč Band.

Our Allied Partners from the NATO Multinational Brigade Task Force Slovakia (NATO MN BDE TF SVK), stationed at the Training Centre (TC) Lešť, provided a multinational marching section for the military parade and conducted displays of their capabilities, both static (1x ESP VAMTAC ST-5, 1x ESP Centauro, 1x PRT Pandur, 1x ROU VAMTAC) and dynamic (6x ESP VAMTACs and 2x ESP VAMTAC anti-tank vehicles).

At AFD 2025 in Brezová pod Bradlom, there were also our Zuzana-2 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs), tracked and wheeled infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), main battle tanks (MBTs), UH-60M Black Hawks, L-39 Albatrosses, F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcons, and C-27J Spartans that visitors thoroughly enjoyed watching in action.