Bill on state defence envisages help from civilian population

A bill on defence of the state drafted by the Czech Defence Ministry envisages military training of volunteers from the civilian population. If approved the Defence Ministry would spend hundreds of millions of crowns in preparing back-up units from the civilian population who would actively participate in the country’s defence in the event of war. Such a project would involve closer cooperation and financial aid to associations of amateur radio enthusiasts, shooting clubs and cynology experts. Running an administrative and coordination centre for such training would cost 60 million crowns annually.