Czech Republic wants to buy up to forty US F-35 fighter jets

The Czech Republic is actively bidding for the purchase of up to 40 advanced fifth-generation F-35 fighters from the USA, an unnamed American source told the website, Janes. According to them, the machines would replace 14 JAS-39 Gripen fighters, whose lease to the Czech army will end in 2027. The Czech Ministry of Defense (MO) stated at the request of ČTK that military experts are preparing an opinion on the future provision of Czech airspace and there are various options. According to the Ministry of Defense, it is possible that the soldiers also addressed the American side during the collection of documents, “but it certainly cannot be called active negotiations.” The information was also rejected by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (YES) and Minister of Defense Lubomír Metnar (for YES).

According to Janes, the F-35 fighter manufactured by Lockheed Martin is slowly becoming a standard machine for NATO countries, with the purchase of Finland, for example. “Other European countries have officially expressed interest, such as Spain, Greece, and the Czech Republic. They are actively applying for them,” said a server source. According to him, the Czech Republic came up with a request for up to 40 machines. Originally, they were interested in F-16 fighters, but Lockheed Martin decided to focus its offer on the more modern F-35.

The company stated today in a statement provided to ČTK that it has recently observed interest in F-35 fighters from Spain, Greece, the Czech Republic, and some other countries. “In each of these countries, a formal procurement process has yet to begin,” said Lockheed Martin Europe’s chief of communications, John Neilson.

According to Jan Pejšek, director of the communication department of the Czech Ministry of Defense, the Janes server reports “there is a storm in a glass of water”. According to him, experts from the General Staff of the Czech Army are still preparing a military opinion on the possibilities of future airspace protection after the expiration of the Gripen lease. This opinion should be ready in early 2022 and will be considered by the next government.

According to Pejšek, there are three options in general: to continue using existing Gripen, to use a new generation of Gripen, or to switch to a “different supersonic platform”. “It is, therefore, possible that the soldiers also addressed the American side as part of the collection of documents, but it certainly cannot be called active negotiations,” Pejšek said.

“At the moment we have a valid contract for the lease of 14 Swedish JAS-39 Gripen fighters until 2027, in addition to the possibility of an option for another two years, ie until 2029. Therefore, under the current leadership of the MoD, but also in the coming years, so there will be no changes in the supersonic air force, “Pejšek said.

The Janes server information was also rejected by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (YES) and Minister of Defense Lubomír Metnar (for YES). They told ČTK that it was time to choose new fighters and that politicians were still waiting for the opinion of the army.

ODS expert Jana Čenochová, who is referred to as the new Minister of Defense, has no information about the alleged interest in American fighters. “I don’t know anything about the official expression of interest. The analysis of the possibilities of how to proceed with supersonic aviation is currently underway, which means that more detailed technical and financial information on individual alternatives is being obtained.

F-35 fighters are equipped with the latest military technology, which also makes them one of the most expensive machines. Among other things, the fighters have stealth technology, which makes radar interception difficult. The F-35 is operated by the US Air Force, Navy and Marines, but also, for example, by Israel, which was the first to use these aircraft for combat missions.

Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Belgium have already bought American fighters from European countries. Poland bought 32 of these fighters in the F-35A variant last January for 4.6 billion dollars (about 101 billion crowns). According to the Polish Ministry of Defense, the contract also included training and logistics. Switzerland chose the F-35 as its new fighter in the summer, while Singapore officially became part of the “program”, spokesman Neilson told Lockheed Martin, adding that competitions in Finland and Canada were just before the decision.