Territorial Defence played a crucial role in Slovenia's independence efforts, providing a basis that the nation's armed forces evolved from. Faced with new threats, the country is now planning to revive it.

Speaking to reporters on 7 May, Defence Minister Marjan Šarec announced that Slovenia is setting up a territorial force as the conceptual successor of the former Territorial Defence.

The role of the permanent force will be to fulfil the commitments to NATO, while the territorial force will complement it in defending the country's territory.

Šarec noted that he had announced a return of the territorial defence force at the beginning of his term in mid-2022.

NATO has changed. "In the past, NATO was oriented towards more expeditionary action, but today the reality is that all member states are aware that they should return to defending their territory," he said.

Šarec believes that the Slovenian Armed Forces (SAF) need a permanent force that fulfils the commitments to NATO, and a "domestic component" capable of defending the country.

This was once known as "general public defence", which the Defence Ministry wants to revive. As a model Šarec named Switzerland, which boosts its defence by means of regular exercises of its reserve forces.

Lieutenant General Robert Glavaš, the chief of the general staff of the SAF, said that in the current security environment, there is again the need for countries to defend their own territories.

He noted that the NATO treaties stipulate that each country is first and foremost responsible for its own defence, and only then is Article 5 of the Washington Treaty activated.

The SAF and the ministry have looked at the number of army members to ascertain gaps. These gaps are to be filled by a territorial force that will be the first to respond in case of a crisis to preserve the country's independence.

On 1 July, the SAF will establish a territorial force brigade, which will consist of members of the permanent force and some contractual reserve members. Two regiments with one company-level assault squad each will also be established.

By the end of the year the ministry plans to create a training centre that will support the establishment of the territorial force. By 1 July 2025, another eight regiments with at least one company-level assault detachment will also be established.

The government has recently adopted a new defence strategy and accompanying documents on military and civil defence in response to the new security challenges brought about by the Russian attack on Ukraine.