The defense industry continues to increase its share of total exports of goods and services in the Slovak Republic. According to data published by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, exports of weapons, ammunition, and related components reached €2.39 billion last year, accounting for 2.2% of total exports in 2025. For the first time in the country’s history, exports of military equipment thus exceeded 2 billion euros.

In 2025, the Slovak defense industry continued to benefit from consistently high demand for military equipment and ammunition in foreign markets. According to available data, exports of weapons and ammunition from Slovakia doubled compared to 2024. In 2024, exports of weapons systems and ammunition accounted for 1.1% of total exports and reached a value of 1.13 billion euros in real terms. Statistics and available data also confirm a long-term growth trend in the Slovak defense industry, primarily in connection with the ongoing war in Ukraine and the need for European countries to replenish their stocks of military equipment and ammunition.

Ammunition, particularly 155-millimeter artillery ammunition, is a key export item for the Slovak defense industry. The MSM Group, which is part of the CSG holding company, is primarily responsible not only for its production but also for its development, modernization, repairs, and safe disposal. In recent years, companies such as ZVS Holding—in which the MSM Group holds a 50% stake and the state owns the other half—and VOP Nováky have invested tens to hundreds of millions of euros in their production facilities and capacity to support ammunition production on the European continent and meet the consistently high demand from NATO member states. At the same time, these companies are entering into partnerships with other European manufacturers, such as Eurenco, to increase the production of individual ammunition components. It is worth noting that Slovakia possesses a very strong manufacturing and technological base in the field of large-caliber ammunition production, ranking among the best in Europe.

The production of medium- and large-caliber ammunition in Slovakia could increase even further in the coming years, thanks to a plan for joint ammunition procurement across European Union member states under the SAFE program. The SAFE initiative aims to strengthen the defense capabilities of EU member states, with the European Commission having allocated 150 billion euros to this program. One of the key elements of this program is the joint procurement of 30 mm, 35 mm, 120 mm, and 155 mm ammunition with a total value of up to 58 billion euros. Already at the end of last year, ZVS Holding signed a seven-year framework agreement with the Slovak Ministry of Defense for the production of these types of ammunition worth 58 billion euros, which represents the maximum possible value should other European countries join the project. As stated by Robert Kaliňák, Minister of Defense of the Slovak Republic, following the signing of this contract, negotiations are already underway with several interested parties. Poland is likely to become one of the partners, as it has long sought to cooperate with Slovakia on ammunition production.

The growth in exports of products from the Slovak defense industry is a key factor for the overall growth of the Slovak economy, which is currently stagnating. It is precisely the support and further development of the defense industry through international projects and initiatives that can bring additional revenue to the state treasury while also further boosting employment in the individual regions where defense companies operate. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain the capacity utilization of defense industry companies—specifically their production capacities—so that this sector can continue to contribute significantly to economic growth and provide manufacturers themselves with the motivation to maintain production and support employment.