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http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/ ... QI20150309
The Czech government has approved a sale of 15 subsonic fighter planes to Iraq, the defense minister said on Monday, following the failure of a previous attempt to offload surplus stock to Baghdad.
"Let's believe ... we can get rid of all the surplus planes in two to three years," Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky told journalists after a regular cabinet meeting.
Last July the Czechs signed a contract to sell 14 L-159 planes to U.S. company Draken International.
Stropnicky said his ministry would receive 750 million crowns ($29.89 million) for the Iraqi sale. Four of the planes are currently being used by the Czech air force, while the remaining 11 are stored by the plane maker.
The producer Aero negotiated the plan to sell the planes to Iraq last April and will act as an intermediary in the transaction.
The contract with Iraq is subject to approval by countries whose firms supplied parts used in the L-159, including the United States and Italy.