Czech Republic signs agreement to purchase 24 F-35 fighter jets from the US.

An F-35C fighter jet on the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (Photo: Sputnik).

"The agreement will definitely be signed before the end of March or even sooner. We are looking for a suitable format and a suitable date, including the fact that Secretary (of Defense Lloyd) Austin is ill," Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova told CNN on January 21.

The Czech Republic is expected to pay the US 105.8 billion Czech koruna (US$4.64 billion) for the F-35 fighter jet purchase agreement. According to CNN , additional costs, including the construction of a new airfield, will amount to 43.8 billion koruna, bringing the total cost of purchasing and operating these aircraft for the Czech Republic until 2069 to 322 billion koruna.

In September 2023, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that Prague had decided to purchase 24 F-35 fighter jets from the United States. He added that the first fighter jets would be delivered to the Czech Republic in 2031, while all 24 would be put into service by 2035.

Currently, the Czech Air Force is equipped with 14 JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets leased from Sweden and 24 L-159 aircraft manufactured domestically.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that the US effort to sell weapons "has damaged the global economy and affected the well-being of people in many countries outside of Europe."

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/sec-ky-thoa-thuan-mua-24-tiem-kich-f-35-cua-my-20240122143916583.htm