- 23.9.2026
Firing from a moving vehicle, advancing with a weapon through narrow corridors and engaging targets inside buildings: Czech soldiers practised all these activities during training at Lešť in Slovakia. Personnel of the Czech Armed Forces' 9th Task Force, drawn primarily from the 42nd Mechanised Battalion in Tábor and the 44th Light Motorised Battalion in Jindřichův Hradec, used specialist facilities combining live firing with tactical activity in realistic conditions.
A conventional range usually provides clearly defined firing positions and target areas. Modern tactical firearms training requires soldiers to cope with more complex situations. They must move, observe their surroundings, cooperate with fellow unit members and use their weapons safely and accurately. Specialist facilities at Lešť allow them to practise situations resembling operational deployment.
During their September training, Czech soldiers used several tactical firing facilities. One was designed for firing from a moving vehicle. Unlike on a conventional range, the firer must deal with vehicle movement, confined space and the need to monitor the surrounding situation continuously, while maintaining accuracy, safe weapons handling and coordination with others.
“Firing from a moving vehicle is a somewhat different task from conventional firing from a fixed position. You have to be aware of the vehicle's movement, handle your weapon and respond to the situation around you at the same time,” one participant explained.
Live Firing Indoors
One advantage of Lešť is the opportunity to conduct firearms training in specially adapted halls and buildings. These are purpose-built tactical firing facilities rather than ordinary gyms or empty warehouses. Weapons are used under conditions governed by the prescribed safety arrangements.
Some facilities permit live firing inside buildings, allowing soldiers to practise situations rarely encountered on an open range. These include movement in confined spaces, responding to targets in different directions and coordinating team members as they advance through rooms.
Such facilities allow training difficulty to increase gradually. Individual skills can first be practised separately, then combined in more complex scenarios that test decision-making and cooperation as well as shooting proficiency.
Close Quarters Battle Requires a Cohesive Team
Another part of the training focused on Close Quarters Battle (CQB): combat at short distances in enclosed and confined spaces. This places exceptional demands on rapid situational assessment, orientation and cooperation.
Rooms, corridors and other confined spaces often leave little time for decisions. Every team member must understand their task, handle their weapon safely and remain aware of others' movements. At Lešť, Czech soldiers practised procedures in teams, combining firing with tactical movement.
A Training Environment Resembling Operations
Lešť Training Centre is a specialist training facility of the Slovak Armed Forces. Alongside conventional ranges and tactical training areas, it has facilities for operations in built-up areas, including the Jakub Village complex and buildings for tactical firearms training.
Jakub Village is a model settlement for practising combat activities in a village-like environment. Depending on their purpose, facilities can use moving targets, simulated smoke and other elements to make scenarios more realistic. Selected buildings are also adapted for live ammunition.
Soldiers can progress from individual marksmanship through small-team activities to more complex tactical tasks. Training at Lešť extends beyond combat inside buildings: the extensive military training area also supports mechanised operations, combat in open terrain, coordination between branches and cooperation among Allied armed forces.
Training Relevant to Allied Defence
Czech soldiers serve in Slovakia as part of a multinational NATO brigade tasked with strengthening the Alliance's eastern flank. The Czech Armed Forces' 9th Task Force assumed its operational mission in June 2026, continuing the work of Czech contingents deployed there since 2022.
Alongside their operational duties, soldiers continue training to maintain and develop the capabilities needed for joint deployment. Lešť's specialist halls and tactical facilities provide conditions that cannot be replicated at every range.
The September training therefore offered more than an opportunity to improve shooting skills. It also tested decision-making, communication and cooperation in rapidly changing conditions, where the actions of each individual affect the success of the whole team.
Author: Maj Richard Maňásek
