Today (26 March), the newly arrived 17 light armored "STRYKER" vehicles, which were purchased from the U.S. in the process of modernization and equipping of the Macedonian Army, were promoted at the "Strašo Pindžur" barracks in Petrovec, in the presence of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Minister of Defense Vlado Misajlovski, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Aleksandar Nikolovski, the Chief of the General Staff, Major General Sashko Lafchiski, and the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy, Nicole Varnes.
At the event, Prime Minister Mickoski emphasized that investments in defense and the Army continue and that the "STRYKER" armored vehicles will significantly strengthen the capacity of the Macedonian Army.
"This means a lot to us, it improves operability, practically increases the mobility of the Army itself and in this way we become more competitive compared to other armies. We as a Government will continue to invest in our Macedonian Army in the future," Mickoski said.
Minister Misajlovski said that this is one of the largest projects of the Ministry of Defense and that the modernization of the Army continues at a strong pace because more than 32% of the Defense Budget is planned for modernization.
"As you can see behind me, 17 vehicles have already arrived. The rest should arrive by mid-summer, but we will continue with everything that is part of our modernization," the Minister said. He added that thanks to the excellent cooperation with the United States, some of the vehicles that were out of use in the past have been put back into operation today, and emphasized that many more projects with the United States are coming, which include additional weapons, additional equipment, drones, equipment for special units, in order to have a modern and equipped Army.
On this occasion, Misajlovski expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Ministers in the Government, to the MPs, to the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy and the employees of the U.S. Embassy, as well as to the employees of the Ministry and the Army who worked on this project and enabled the intensification of defense cooperation with our strategic partner.
Nicole Varnes, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy, underlined that with the arrival of the Stryker light armored vehicles, as well as with the full delivery in the upcoming period, the country is making a real and visible step forward in the process of modernization of the armed forces and strengthening its place in the Alliance. She added that the U.S. will remain a trusted partner of our country on the path of modernization and contribution to peace and stability in the region and beyond.
The procurement of the Stryker armored vehicles is part of the process of modernization and improvement of the Army's capacities and is being implemented through a government-to-government agreement with the United States. The capabilities and capacities of these vehicles were presented at the promotion.
