Czech Republic Officially Signs F-35 Purchase Deal
The Czech Republic officially signed a letter of offer and acceptance for the purchase of 24 F-35As on Monday, with the first of the stealthy aircraft to be delivered in 2031.
A memorandum of understanding between the United States and the Czech Republic was signed to formalize the Czech government’s acceptance of the offer, with Czech defense minister Jana Černochová and U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic Bijan Sabet signing the memorandum in the presence of Chief of General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces Lieutenant General Karel Řehka.
While Prague did not provide details on the cost of the procurement, the Foreign Military Sale package for the F-35As approved by the U.S. State Department in June 2023 estimated a $5.62 billion ceiling cost inclusive of 24 Lockheed Martin F-35As and their engines, an additional spare Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions, spare parts, countermeasures, as well as training and support.
According to the Czech defense ministry, F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin and engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney will be participating in 11 industrial cooperation projects as part of the deal, with the ministry estimating the projects to have a total economic value of 15.3 billion Czech koruna ($665.6 million). The projects will see 13 Czech enterprises and universities become involved in four areas of the F-35 supply chain, namely manufacturing of components, research and development, pilot training and maintenance, as well as F-35 maintenance and servicing.
F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin says that the Czech F-35s will be in Block 4 configuration, with Lockheed Martin vice president and F-35 program general manager Bridget Lauderdale saying:
With the signing of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance between the Czech Republic and U.S. governments, the Czech Republic becomes the 18th nation to join the global F-35 program. We are honored to partner with the Czech Republic Air Force as its F-35s join other European nations in strengthening and growing interoperability, significantly increasing NATO’s deterrent capability.
“I promised that the contract for the American F-35 aircraft would be concluded by the end of March and I delivered on the promise. This government-to-government agreement brings our country and its Armed forces into a whole new era, in which not only our servicemembers but also modern equipment rank us into the first league of European NATO Allies. As a matter of fact, fifth-generation aircraft are a backbone fighters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Moreover, their procurement will significantly increase combat readiness of the Czech Armed Forces,” said Černochová after signing the memorandum of understanding.
The F-35As will replace the Saab Gripens currently used by the Czech Air Force. The Gripens are expected to be retired in 2035 when the F-35As reach full operational capability, with the Czech defense ministry saying that it is in “intensive negotiations” with the Swedish governments on keeping the Gripens operational until then.