Czech Authorities Still Undecided on Whether to Transfer L-159 Combat Aircraft to Ukraine

Czech authorities have yet to reach a political consensus on whether or not to sell L-159 light attack aircraft to Ukraine. At the same time, the Czech military believes that they themselves need these aircraft.

This was reported by Bloomberg.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said that no decision has yet been made on the possible sale of the aircraft. At the same time, the country’s defense minister informed the cabinet that the Czech Air Force “will need these aircraft.”

Tomio Okamura, leader of the far-right pro-Russian Freedom and Direct Democracy Party, which is part of the ruling coalition, was even harsher in his criticism of Czech President Petr Pavel’s proposal to transfer some of these aircraft to Ukraine.

“The Czech Republic can provide several medium combat aircraft in a relatively short time, which are extremely effective in combating drones. I believe that we will be able to resolve this issue quickly and successfully,” Pavel said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Okamura argued that purchasing a replacement for the L-159 for the Air Force would cost Prague more than the proceeds from the sale of Czech aircraft to Ukraine.

According to Bloomberg, this is yet another example of the confrontation between the president — a former NATO general and staunch supporter of Ukraine — and Babiš’s new government, which harshly criticized the European Union’s policy on military aid to Ukraine during the election campaign.

Shortly after the billionaire prime minister came to power, President Pavel called on him to form a government with a “constructive” approach to NATO and Ukraine.

However, after coming to power, Babiš softened his rhetoric, supporting the continuation of the “Czech initiative” to purchase ammunition for Ukraine. He also demonstrated pragmatism in relations with other EU leaders, softening the influence of his far-right coalition partners on his administration.

“Undoubtedly, there are some internal discussions that fit into the general discussion about the future of the L-159. This is one of the scenarios, and I think Pavel got too carried away because he talked about things he hadn’t discussed with the government,” explained Jan Grohmann, editor-in-chief of the Czech publication Armadni Noviny, in a comment to Militarnyi.

L-159 aircraft against drones

The Czech publication Armadni Noviny concluded that the capabilities of the L-159 ALCA in the field of air defense remain limited.

One of the key problems is the lack of integrated modern electro-optical pods that could ensure effective detection and tracking of small targets.

The L-159A aircraft supplied to Iraq were equipped with a Turkish ASELPOD container, but its integration was incomplete and its functionality did not meet the requirements for combating drones.

One possible solution could be the use of two-seater L-159T2s, where the second crew member — the weapons operator — could partially compensate for the shortcomings of the avionics and relieve the pilot.