The Czech Republic plans to deliver several combat aircraft to Ukraine on short notice, which could be used to counter russian missile and drone attacks. This was announced by Czech President Petr Pavel during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Pavel did not disclose which specific aircraft might be transferred, but emphasized that they could be highly effective against drones. "I hope we will be able to resolve this issue quickly and successfully," he said.
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Defense Express note: In the translated video of the press conference, it is stated that the Czech Republic allegedly "cannot transfer medium aircraft to Ukraine in the near future." At the same time, Western media outlets, including Reuters, cite Pavel as referring to plans to transfer aircraft in the near term.
In this context, it is worth recalling that as early as May 2023, Czech President Petr Pavel, when considering how his country could further strengthen Ukraine's Defense Forces, spoke about the possible transfer of L-159 light attack aircraft to Ukraine.
At the time, we provided a detailed overview of this aircraft and its capabilities. Briefly, the L-159 is equipped with an airborne radar from the FIAR Grifo L family produced by Italy's Leonardo. It can also carry a Litening targeting pod, enabling the use of precision-guided munitions, among other features.
The weapons available to this light combat aircraft include unguided and guided aerial bombs, aircraft cannons, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles, and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Therefore, if Ukraine were to receive such aircraft, they would primarily enhance its ability to counter russian Geran (Shahed) drones.
The L-159 made its first flight in 1997. The single-seat variant entered service with the Czech Air Force in 2001, while the two-seat version followed six years later, in 2007. According to open-source data, the Czech Air Force currently operates 16 single-seat L-159A aircraft and eight two-seat L-159T trainers. It is possible that from this fleet, the Czech Republic could allocate the few aircraft mentioned by President Pavel.
In addition, it should be noted that in 2023, Ukraine and the Czech Republic were also reported to be considering joint projects, including the production of the F/A-259 (L-259) trainer and light combat aircraft, which is essentially a deep modernization of the L-159A. Another option that can be mentioned is the L-39NG trainer/light attack aircraft, which we have previously described as an effective "flying classroom," while also noting the long timelines required for its delivery.
However, in the latter two cases, this is unlikely to be a "here and now" solution. As of today, it also remains unclear whether there is any active cooperation in this direction, either in the form of contracting new aircraft for Ukraine or pursuing joint production programs.
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