Czech military wants to raise number of Gripen fighters
published:
11.11.2014, 13:47
updated:
11.11.2014 13:59
Prague - The Czech military wants to increase the number of its Swedish-made Jas-39 Gripen fighters from 14 to 20 in reaction to the worsening security situation in Europe, the public Czech Radio reported today.
Pět letounů Jas-39 Gripen a zbylá skupina vojáků odletěly 10. října v poledne z čáslavského leletiště na devítitýdenní misi na Island. Čas odletu se několikrát měnil. Původně měly stíhačky odstartovat ve čtvrtek, odlet ale znemožnily klimatické podmínky nad Severním mořem. ČTK Vostárek Josef
"We must reflect the situation in the world that is becoming more and more dramatic. There is no time to shut one´s eyes to what might occur to us as well in the future. The situation in the world will not calm down, this is just a dream," air force commander General Libor Stefanik told Czech Radio/Radiozurnal.
He cited the airspace defence, support for ground forces and training with forward air controllers among the reasons fro leasing more Gripens.
The Czech government approved the first contracts on the lease of 14 Swedish Jas-39 Gripen supersonic fighters for 20 billion crowns in April 2004. Czechs received the first six fighters from Sweden in April 2005 and the other eight by the end of August of the same year. The contract was to expire in 2015.
In March, the government approved the extension of the contract until 2027 with a two-year option for some 1.7 billion crowns annually.
Apart from Czech airspace, Gripens protect the skies over Iceland, which does not have its own military, due to alleged intensified activities of Russian air forces close to the Icelandic airspace.
The the Czech military helped protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the past.
($1=22.091 crowns)