25 November 2014
The Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced plans to buy one or two medium-sized tactical transport aircraft.
Currently, the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR) operates four Airbus Military CASA C295 medium tactical transport aircraft that fulfil the service's air transport needs.
The aircraft, however, lacks range and capacity to meet the requirements of the MoD, which would like the ACR to be more mobile and readily deployable.
Accordingly the new aircraft would ideally be of a larger size than the C295,
in the class of the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules,
according to the MoD.
The MoD said that it will decide in the first quarter of 2015 whether the defence budget will allow for the procurement of one or two medium tactical transport aircraft with a per unit cost of CZK1.5 billion (USD67.3 million).
Sources close to the MoD informed IHS Jane's that apart from the C-130,
the MoD is also looking at the possibility of procuring the Embraer KC-390 tactical transport/air-to-air tanker aircraft currently under development,
which is scheduled to enter production in 2015.
Czech aircraft maker Aero Vodochody is designing and making key components for the KC-390 and some within the MoD believe the ministry could negotiate favourable conditions for procuring the aircraft.
The MoD had been seeking a C-130-class tactical transport aircraft since 2008 to increase the ACR's airlift capability;
however, the global financial crisis and subsequent government austerity measures placed such procurement plans on indefinite hold.
Stropnicky added that the MoD could procure an additional two Airbus Military C-295 aircraft.
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