Czech Republic is now officially part of the F-35 Lightning II program
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The Government of the Czech Republic today signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) making official its intent to procure 24 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II 5th Generation aircraft. Through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, the Czech Air Force will receive its first aircraft in 2031, which will be in the latest advanced Block 4 configuration.
The procurement of 24 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft was authorized by the Czech Republic Government in September 2023. By the end of March 2024, it was necessary to complete a number of administrative steps and formally conclude this phase of project realization by signing the Memorandum of Understanding between the Czech and U.S. governments and the so-called Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA), acceptance of which executes an agreement with the U.S. government.
The Memorandum was signed today by Czech Minister of Defense Jana Černochová with U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Bijan Sabet in the presence of Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces Lieutenant General Karel Řehka. The LOA, which was delivered in Prague at the end of 2023, was countersigned by the Director General of the Armament and Procurement Division of the Czech Ministry of Defense, Lubor Koudelka, upon completion of all mandatory administrative steps under Czech law.
The acquisition of twenty-four F-35A Block 4 fighters is the largest defense project in the history of the Czech Armed Forces.
In addition to the aircraft, the acquisition also includes personnel training, service and logistics support, as well as the development of other support services to ensure the successful delivery of the 24 F-35s. In terms of industrial cooperation, there are eleven projects prepared with Lockheed Martin and three projects with Pratt&Whitney for a total value of CZK 15.3 billion (approx. USD 665). Thirteen Czech companies and universities will be involved in four areas: component manufacturing, research and development, pilot training and maintenance, and F-35 maintenance and repair.
Preparing for the arrival of the fifth generation
The Czech Ministry of Defense reported that the procurement process has an expected duration of eleven years, with the arrival of the first aircraft in 2031. Along with the individual payments, a Comprehensive Implementation Plan is being developed to define the introduction of the F-35 system into the Czech Armed Forces environment. Specifically, the plan covers personnel, training, infrastructure, service and logistics support, as well as the development of all other ancillary services, to receive the progressive deliveries of the 24 F-35 units smoothly from the very beginning.
The Swedish Gipen fighters in the Czech Air Force inventory will have completed their mission in 2035, when the F-35 system reaches full operational capability. The Czech Republic and Sweden are conducting intensive negotiations on the support needed to keep the Gripens in active service on schedule.
The F-35 remains the aircraft of choice for most European countries to replace their fourth-generation fighter fleets. By the 2030s, more than 600 F-35s from more than 10 European countries will be working together, including two full squadrons of U.S. F-35s stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath.
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