Ljubljana - Slovenia will allocate more than EUR 100 million for defence investments this year. In line with the act on investments in the Slovenian Armed Forces in 2021-2026, modernisation and staffing consolidation will remain the key projects. Renovation of military barracks will continue as well.

The act stipulates that EUR 780 million will be spent for the most urgent modernisation of the army in 2021-2026.

According to the Defence Ministry, this needs to be regulated by law to ensure the stability of financing, as some purchases cannot be completed in a year.

Most of the funds will go for armoured vehicles and a transport aircraft, and the reconstruction and adaptation of military infrastructure around the country.

Soon, the renovation of the Edvard Peperko barracks in Ljubljana and the Maribor barracks will start, according to the Defence Ministry's newsletter.

In 2021, the Spartan C-27J tactical transport aircraft that Slovenia will buy from Italy under an agreement signed by the two defence ministers was partially paid for.

The aircraft will enable movement of troops to and from operations areas, support their endurance in the performance of combat or humanitarian tasks, and enable medical evacuation of SAF members and evacuation of Slovenian citizens.

Slovenia also funded the purchase of 37 Oshkosh APCs from the US last year and renovated some military barracks and the runway at the military airfield in Cerklje ob Krki.

In 2022, the second instalment will need to be paid for the Spartan C-27J, anti-tank rockets will be purchased, and the investments in barracks and personal armament and equipment of soldiers will continue, the ministry told the STA.

According to the ministry's website, the investments into the army are projected to reach the 2008 level, when EUR 103.2 million was spent.

The army will also reduce its presence in the NATO-led KFOR mission in Kosovo, as the units of the Slovenian Armed Forces take a short operative break after taking part in the mission for years, to increase its presence in some other missions, most notably in the Baltic countries.

Some opposition parties disagreed with the legislation providing for defence investments, arguing that investing in the army amid a health and economic crises is not appropriate.

The Left and Social Democrats (SD) have also launched several referendum initiatives against the law, all of which were squashed by the coalition.