The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) will be purchased by the Czech Republic, who has announced plans to buy 24 of the aircraft.
The Czech Air Force (CzAF) is looking to replace its leased Saab Gripen C/D aircraft, and the Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on September 27 that the government had approved the acquisition.
The MoD stated in a letter that the F-35 fifth-generation aircraft will “ensure the future of the Czech Air Force for the next decades, allowing the Army of the Czech Republic to effectively defend our and allied territory.” The government approved the purchase of 24 F-35 fifth generation aircraft, along with a thorough finance package, at its meeting on September 27.
Although the letter did not specify which F-35 variant will be purchased, it is most likely going to be the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) F-35A, which is in use by the US Air Force (USAF) and the majority of foreign clients. The newest Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3) Block 4 standard will be used for these.
