4th Rapid Deployment Brigade
4. brigáda rychlého nasazení
Emblem of the 4th Rapid Deployment Brigade
Active1 July 1994-present
Country Czech Republic
Branch Czech Land Forces
Rolemechanized infantry
SizeBrigade
Garrison/HQŽatec
Nickname(s)Obrany Národa
Motto(s)Tam, kde jiní nestačí
EquipmentPandur II
Iveco LMV
EngagementsIFOR
SFOR
Kosovo Force
War in Afghanistan
Websitehttps://4brn.army.cz/
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Jiří Líbal[1]
Notable
commanders		Army Gen. Jiří Šedivý
Army Gen. Aleš Opata
Major Gen. Roman Náhončík

The 4th (Czech) Rapid Deployment Brigade (4. brigáda rychlého nasazení) is a brigade of the Army of the Czech Republic. It is assigned to the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. Units from the brigade have deployed as part of KFOR, ISAF and EUTM Mali. Elemets of the brigade were deployed in support of the emergency services during the floods in 1997, 2002 and 2013.[2] The brigade consists of three battalions and is considered as spearhead of the Army of the Czech Republic. It builds the core of the 4th Brigade Task Force. Soldiers of the brigade wore red berets for 29 years as elements of the brigade were trained as paratroopers until the end of June 2023 when the whole brigade changed to the new khaki berets as the rest of the ground forces.[3]

History

The brigade HQ was created on 1 January 1994 in Havlíčkův Brod with the activation of the whole brigade on 1 July 1994. The first commander was then Colonel Jiří Šedivý[4] who later became chief of the general staff. At the time of creation, it was combined arms brigade with 2 mechanized infantry battalions (41st and 42nd), mechanized airborne battalion (43rd), recon battalion, artillery group as well as engineering, signal and logistic battalions, NBC protection company and medical group. It was in direct command of chief of general staff as national Immediate Response Force. It was equipped with BVP-2 IFV at the time.

In 1997 it was transferred under command of the Land Forces. In that year units of the brigade were deployed to help with cleaning efforts after floods in Moravia. After joining NATO it became part of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force.

On 8 May 1999, brigade received honorary name "Obrany Národa" from president Václav Havel.[5]

In 2003, it was reduced in size as part of reorganisation of the Czech Army. From the original 10 battalions, only three mechanized ones remained, one of them airborne.[6] One year after that reorganisaton, the HQ together with the 41st mechanized battalion were moved to Žatec.

In 2008, the strength of the unit was increased with newly formed 44th motorised light infantry battalion at Jindřichův Hradec that replaced 153rd rescue battalion that was disbanded.

In 2010, the 41st and 42nd mechanized battalions exchanged their old tracked BVP-2 IFV for wheeled Pandur II vehicles.[7] In 2016, a new battalion was expected to be formed – the 45th mechanized infantry bn. at Rakovník. That decision however changed, and after transferring its organisational core to 15th engineering regiment, it eventually became the Host Nation Support Battalion.[8]

In 2017, the brigade was affiliated to 10th Tank Division of Bundeswehr.[9]

In 2020, the 43rd airborne battalion was transferred to direct command of Land Forces and was reorganised into 43rd Airborne Regiment as a third ground maneuver element of the Czech Army.[10] With that the brigade lost almost all its airborne units.

In 2022 and 2023, units from 41st and 42nd mechanized battalions served as part of the newly created NATO eFP Slovakia battlegroup at Lešť military training center that is commanded by Czechia.[11]

Structure

The brigade as of 2023 consists of following units:[12]

  • Headquarters and Staff (Žatec)
  • 41. mechanizovaný prapor (41.mpr) "gen. Josefa Malého“. - 41st Mechanised (Infantry) Battalion (Žatec) (Pandur II)
  • 42. mechanizovaný prapor (42.mpr) "Svatováclavský" - 42nd Mechanised (Infantry) Battalion (Tábor) (Pandur II)
  • 44. lehký motorizovaný prapor (44.lmopr) - 44th Motorised Infantry Light Battalion (Jindřichův Hradec) (Iveco LMV)
  • Signal company
  • Support company

References

  1. ↑ "Hlavní funkcionáři". 4brn,army.cz (in Czech). Czech Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  2. ↑ "4. brigáda rychlého nasazení". 4brn.army.cz. Czech Army. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  3. ↑ "Změna barvy baretu u 4.brn". 4. brigáda rychlého nasazení. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  4. ↑ "Historie - 4. brigáda rychlého nasazení". 4brn.army.cz.
  5. ↑ "Symboly". 4brn.army.cz. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  6. ↑ Roušar, Jaroslav (2004-04-15). Ministerstvo obrany ČR Ročenka 2003 (PDF). Praha: Ministerstvo obrany České republiky – Agentura vojenských informací a služeb. pp. 90–97.
  7. ↑ "41. mechanizovaný prapor". 4brn.army.cz. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "Prapor podpory nasaditelných sil Rakovník". alog.army.cz. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "Dohoda ČR SRN v ČJ" (PDF). Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  10. ↑ Mužátko, Simona. "V Chrudimi vznikl 43. výsadkový pluk". acr.army.cz. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "Novým velitelem jednotky NATO na Slovensku je plukovník Karel Navrátil". mise.acr.cz. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  12. ↑ "Organizační struktura". 4brn.army.cz. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
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