Eastern Europe Edition

After Autos, Slovakia Turns to Ammo

The country makes more cars per capita than anywhere else. Now it’s eying the defense industry.

CSG’s artillery ammunition business based in Dubnica nad Vahom, Slovakia, on March 11.Michaela Nagyidaiova/Bloomberg

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By Andrea Dudik

March 27, 2026 at 5:30 AM UTC

Hi, this is Andrea in Prague. Welcome to our weekly newsletter on what’s shaping economics and investments from the Baltic Sea to the Balkans. You can subscribe here. We will be taking a break next week due to the Easter holiday. Eastern Europe Edition will resume on April 10.

For years, Slovakia has been the world’s biggest per-capita car producer along with the Czech Republic. But now war is turning the tiny nation into a critical ammunition powerhouse, underpinned by a close alliance between Czech arms billionaire Michal Strnad and Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kalinak.