The Government of the Czech Republic approved the purchase of 24 Lockheed Martin F-35 fifth-generation aircraft, including an extensive financing plan.
As the Czech Ministry of Defense had announced, the favorite candidate to succeed the JAS-39 in defending its airspace was the Lockheed Martin F-35A, and negotiations for its acquisition began in July 2022, despite Saab’s attempts to retain the customer by offering to let them have the Gripen they currently operate, almost for free, once the lease is terminated.
Czech Republic (Czech, get it?) ✅
We are honored the Czech Republic chose to join the F-35 Lightning II program. This decision further cements the F-35 as the fighter of choice for allied air power. pic.twitter.com/z3FHUuT2wa
— F-35 Lightning II (@thef35) September 27, 2023
In June 2023, the U.S. State Department authorized the possible sale of 24 F-35 Lightning II fifth-generation fighters, along with an interesting package of guided weaponry, to the Czech Republic for $5.62 billion. And today Prague made public its decision to go for the F-35s.
«This is a cost-effective solution, as the benefit of the capabilities of this system over its lifetime is significantly higher compared to the money we will pay if we were to acquire another type of aircraft. All true experts agree that the 5th generation aircraft will solve the future of our tactical air force for decades to come, unlike the previous generations of fighter aircraft,» said Prime Minister Petr Fiala at a press conference following the government meeting.
Defense Minister Jana Černochová outlined the details of the material approved for purchase by the government, in particular the overall costs and key milestones of the project schedule.
«The bid for the aircraft, associated equipment, training, ammunition and life-cycle warranty until 2034 is just under $5 billion and will be paid incrementally between 2024 and 2034. The money we will pay in the Czech Republic, 44 billion koruna, will mainly go to the construction of the Čáslav base, fuel, training of personnel and, of course, we will pay VAT. In total, I expect that we will pay 150 billion kronor (approximately USD 13.541 billion) for the project until 2034. We are talking about all costs because from the beginning we have prepared the project thoroughly,» Minister Černochová said, adding that although the total amount is high, it will account for less than seven and a half percent of the planned defense spending. «Thanks to this, I can guarantee that the other modernization projects of the Czech Army, especially the modernization of the heavy mechanized brigade, are not threatened by this project, on the contrary, they complement each other in terms of the capabilities being created.» stated the Minister of Defense.
Why did the Czech Republic choose the F-35?
During the press conference, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, General Karel Rzehka, explained the reasons for choosing the American fighter over other options.
Taking the fight to the enemy’s territory
First, he highlighted its low radar signature, which ensures a high probability of aircraft survivability, and its ability to conduct offensive operations in contested airspace: «If our homeland is attacked, we will not be able to defend ourselves in our own territory. To effectively defend the homeland and the entire alliance, we need the ability to operate in the adversary’s territory. And for this purpose, 5th generation aircraft are the best».
NATO’s «de facto» fighter jet
Another key aspect mentioned was its interoperability with other NATO members, users of the F-35: «We have to recognize that with the large number of these aircraft that will be operating in Europe, and their interconnectivity, we will be able to use sensors and information from our allies. We are talking about a network of over six hundred aircraft, and that is already a force with significant deterrent potential to dissuade a potential adversary from trying to attack us,» said Rehka.
Guarantees for the future
Finally, being a new aircraft with a long operational life ahead of it, the F-35 would meet the needs of the Czech Defense for decades to come. The conclusion of the Czech Ministry of Defense is that the F-35 is the most advanced system currently available, ready for the battlefields of the future, and will be able to operate beyond 2060, unlike aircraft of earlier generations: «Also important is the high crew protection and the enormous potential for improvement, thanks to which I can responsibly state that the pilots who will one day send this machine into retirement are not yet in the world at this time,» said General Karel Rzehka.
Integral and staggered investment
The content of the document, which Defense Minister Jana Černochová presented to the government, is not only the U.S. government’s offer, which includes the purchase of the aircraft themselves, related equipment, training of pilots and technical personnel, simulators, life-cycle assurance for the duration of the contract and ammunition, but also envisages a comprehensive financing program for the entire life cycle of the aircraft. This includes everything necessary for the Czech Defense Forces to fully operate the F-35, perform maintenance, repairs, prepare the infrastructure and purchase ammunition in the required quantities. «No additional costs will be added», the Czech government assures. The material also includes information on industrial cooperation negotiated for Czech companies.
Pořizujeme nejmodernější letoun F-35. Benefity nebude mít jen @ArmadaCR, ale ???????? firmy a univerzity.
✈️11 projektů s @LockheedMartin
✈️3 projekty s @prattandwhitney
✈️ celkem zapojeno 13 podniků a univerzit
✈️ celková hodnota je ve výši 15,3 mld. Kč#F35forCzechia pic.twitter.com/eLLcO9PjWu— Ministerstvo obrany (@ObranaTweetuje) September 27, 2023
The procurement process will take place over eleven years within the defense budget, the money will be spent gradually and will not place a significant burden on the MoD budget, so the F-35 will not jeopardize other necessary projects.
The first aircraft are scheduled to arrive in the Czech Republic at the beginning of the next decade, by which time the conditions for their operation will have been prepared. The current Gripen fleet will continue to operate until 2035, which will gradually be replaced by the F-35, by the date when the new fighter should have reached full operational capability.
