Czech Defense Ministry approves extension of Gripen fighter jet lease until 2035

The Czech Defense Minister’s Board has agreed to extend the lease of Swedish JAS-39 Gripen fighters until 2035.

The press service of the Defense Ministry reported on this.

The draft contract will now be submitted to the Czech government for approval. The continued use of the Gripen will ensure a smooth transition to the fifth-generation F-35A fighter jet by the Czech Air Force.

The current lease of the JAS-39 will end in 2027, and the new, much more modern American F-35As will start to arrive in the Czech Republic in 2031 and be fully operational in 2035.

According to the final proposal, the Czech Republic will pay CZK 16.695 billion for the lease of 12 Gripen, their maintenance, and pilot training. It is noted that this is a saving of about 25 percent compared to the Swedish offer last year.

The lease itself is not the main part of the offer. The cost will be influenced mainly by the aircraft age, which will be in service for the third decade, and therefore, higher maintenance costs are expected.

Reducing the number of leased aircraft from 14 to 12 (including 10 single-seaters and two double-seaters) will result in significant financial savings.

“Even with fewer aircraft, the Czech Republic’s airspace will be protected. At the same time, we will ensure uninterrupted training of pilots and their transition to the new F-35 platform,” Major General Petr Čepelka, Commander of the Czech Air Force, reported.

The Czech Ministry of Defense will also pay CZK 4.037 billion for the modernization under the contract.

This is a necessary step to ensure their operational capability, and their modernization has been underway since 2015.

The Swedish JAS-39 Gripen has been in service with the Czech Air Force since 2004.

The Czech Republic signed an agreement with the United States to purchase 24 fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II fighter jets in January 2024. The flight crew for the new combat aircraft will consist of former Gripen pilots.