Illustrative photo - Press conference of Defence Minister Jana Černochová and Chief of General Staff Karel Rehka on the launch of the virtual recruitment centre project, 12 September 2023, Prague. ČTK/Krumphanzl Michal

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Prague - According to Chief of the General Staff Karel Rehka, the purchase of the F-35 aircraft will not weaken any other project of the army modernisation, the number one priority remains the construction of the heavy brigade. He said this today at an expert seminar on the purchase of F-35 aircraft, which was approved by the government shortly before. Ministry representatives also presented details of industrial cooperation at the seminar, with 14 projects involving 13 Czech companies and universities, with the total value of the projects expected to reach CZK 15.3 billion.

The purchase of the F-35 is important because of the need to maintain technological superiority over adversaries, which he said can only be achieved with the F-35. Interoperability within the alliance is also essential, he said, adding that there will be around 600 F-35s in Europe by 2030 and around 3,000 in the world.

Defence Minister Jana Černochová (ODS) said that the purchase of US aircraft and joining allies that use the F-35 aircraft is a signal to allies and potential aggressors. She also denied that the defence ministry did not talk to the opposition during the negotiations, saying it had invited members of ANO, including the movement's chairman, to the talks. However, he did not attend the talks.

The purchase of the F-35 aircraft will include 14 industrial cooperation projects, involving 13 companies and universities, according to Radka Konderlová, director of the industrial cooperation section of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). According to her, the total value of the projects will reach CZK 15.3 billion, and the agreements are to be concluded no later than the day of signing the contract with the US. Czech companies will be involved in four areas of cooperation, component production, research and development, pilot training and maintenance, and F-35 service and repair.

According to Jaroslav Míka, the head of the integrated work team, the construction of immovable infrastructure and the training of personnel is expected by 2030. The first F-35s will be ready in 2029, and Czech pilots will begin training on them in the United States. According to Míka, the first 12 aircraft should arrive in the Czech Republic in 2031, and operations should start by the end of the year. All 24 aircraft should reach full operational capability on Czech territory in 2035.

The Czech government is negotiating to extend the lease of the Swedish Gripen aircraft currently in use until 2035, with the 1.7-billion-a-year lease set to expire in 2027. According to Blanka Cupáková, the MoD's economic director, the price of the gripen lease will be 30 to 40 percent more expensive after the contract extension, which is mostly due to the obsolescence of the equipment.

(CTK/JaV)