Czechoslovak Group

The Czechoslovak Group (CSG), formerly Excalibur Group,^[2] is a Czech industrial-technological holding company encompassing over 100 companies with over 14,000 employees worldwide. Headquartered in Prague, CSG operates in several sectors including defense, aerospace, ammunition, automotive, and railway industries.^[5] Since January 2018, the owner of the Czechoslovak Group is Michal Strnad, the son of the founder, Jaroslav Strnad. In 2025, Michal Strnad stated that his aim is to grow the Czechoslovak Group into the second largest European defense manufacturer.

While bulk of the CSG's operations is based in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, CSG also operates factories in Germany,^[6] Greece, India, Italy, Serbia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 2024, the company became one of the world's largest manufacturers of small arms ammunition through acquisition of The Kinetic Group.

In 2024, 78% of CSG's revenue originated from defense-related manufacturing, with small arms ammo manufacturing contributing further 11.3%. CSG exported its products to over 70 countries, with 50% of the CSG's revenue realized in NATO states and 42% in Ukraine (23% of CSG's revenue in 2023, 41% in 2022).^[7]

Jaroslav Strnad started his business as a scrapyard owner in 1990s.^[8] From early on, Strnad focused his business on dealing with military surplus equipment, which was in extreme oversupply after the fall of the Warsaw Pact. In 1995, Jaroslav Strnad founded a family company Excalibur Army with less than 20 employees^[8] and with CZK 100,000 ($ 3,700) initial operating capital.^[9] The newly established company expanded business from scrap dealing also towards refurbishment of military surplus equipment.^[8] Gradually, the company started acquiring other businesses focused on rail, radar, truck manufacturing.

During Jaroslav's time, the company focused on expansion of its business primarily in the Czech Republic and from 2008 also in Slovakia. In 2013 CSG acquired majority stake in Tatra trucks. In 2016 CSG purchased military repair facility in Šternberk from the Czech government.

In 2016 Jaroslav's son Michal took a role of a Chairman of the Board of Directors and the company Excalibur Group was renamed Czechoslovak Group.^[2]. In 2018, Jaroslav transferred full ownership of the company to Michal, who started international expansion of the company with purchases of multiple foreign companies,^[8][10][2] e.g. Fábrica de Municiones de Granada (2020), Fiocchi Munizioni (2022)^[11] or Vista Outdoor's The Kinetic Group (2024). In 2026, the company launched initial public offering of 15.2% of its stock at Euronext Amsterdam, raising 3.8 billion euros ($4.5 billion),^[12] which made it the world's largest defense IPO in history.^[13] Chair Michal Strnad said a significant amount of funds raised would go towards acquisitions.^[14]

During the War in Iraq (2013–2017), CSG became an important supplier of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles used by the Iraqi Government against ISIS.^[15]

During the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), CSG trained pilots of the Afghan National Security Forces on its fleet of Black Hawk helicopters.^[16]

During the Russo-Ukrainian war, CSG has been one of the leading European suppliers of defense and defense-related products to Ukraine, especially through the Czech Ammunition Innitiative, through which the Czechoslovak Group delivered 1 million artillery shells in 2024 alone (partially through its own production, partially by re-imports and refurbishments).^[7]

Before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, a number of Ukrainian arms developments were using Tatra 817 chassis, including 2S22 Bohdana howitzer, Bureviy rocket artillery system and R-360 Neptune cruise missile. Following the invasion, deliveries to Ukraine comprised 41% of CSG's revenue in 2022, 23% in 2023 and 42% in 2024.^[17] CSG's most notable sales to Ukraine include:^{[18][19][20][21]}

• Artillery and ammunition deliveries from multitude of its factories (see table below)
• T-72 Avenger main battle tanks
• BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles
• RM 70 Vampire and BM-21 MT STRIGA multiple launch rocket systems
• DANA M2 and DITA self-propelled howitzers

CSG cooperates with multiple other defense manufacturers, e.g. KNDS on Nexter Titus and Leopard 2A8^[22], with Steyr-Daimler-Puch on Pandur II (8×8),^[23] or with Israel Aerospace Industries on radar technology (through CSG'S Retia subsidiary).^[24][25][26]

In October 2023, CSG announced a deal to purchase the ammunition business The Kinetic Group (which includes companies such as Remington Ammunition) from the US company Vista Outdoor.^{[27][28][29][30]} Vista's sale to CSG became a focus of political controversy in the USA, as it was protested by the senator and later vice-president JD Vance,^[31] senator John Kennedy, representative Clay Higgins and National Sheriffs' Association.^[32] Vista Outdoor stockholders approved the sale of Kinetic Group on 25 November 2024 for the price of $2.23bn.^[33]

The Czechoslovak Group holds shares in around 100 companies based mainly in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the table below includes only some of them.

• Official website