It took Germany almost year to hand over weapons against missiles and drones to Slovakia

Defense Express writes about this.

Germany has handed over two batteries of MANTIS anti-aircraft artillery systems to the Slovak Armed Forces. Each battery includes six 35 mm artillery units, two detection modules and a fire control center.

Germany also handed over five surveillance radars with a target detection range of up to 100 kilometers to the Slovak military and provided personnel training, according to the press service of the Slovak Defense Ministry. It is also noted that the transferred MANTIS batteries will be used to "protect particularly important facilities" in Slovakia. 

Defense Express emphasizes that it took almost a year from Germany's first promise to supply MANTIS to the Slovaks to the actual delivery, as Berlin first promised to deliver these anti-aircraft systems in December 2022.

Germany promised to supply one MANTIS battery free of charge, which, according to Berlin's wishes, could be used to protect the base for repairing Ukrainian equipment in Michalovice, on Slovakia's eastern border.

In February 2023, the German Ministry of Defense adjusted its promise and announced its intention to transfer two batteries of MANTIS systems to Slovakia free of charge. However, practical steps were not taken until June 2023, when Bratislava and Berlin agreed on the details of the future transfer, the report notes.

In particular, the composition of each MANTIS battery to be transferred to Slovakia was specified and a plan to train the Slovak military in the use of these air defense systems was agreed. And just 4 months later, the actual transfer of these systems to the Slovak military took place.

Defense Express believes that this can serve as a benchmark for comparison when it comes to the timing of air defense system deliveries from Germany to Ukraine.