Czech Army calls for more fighter planes in view of international security situation

The Czech Army would like the government to increase the number of Gripen supersonic fighter jets at its disposal from the current 14 to 20 due to the security situation in Europe. The chief of the country’s air force, Brigadier General Libor Štefánik, said on Tuesday that it was just daydreaming to imagine that the international security situation would calm; he said it was not time for the Czech Republic to close its eyes to what it could probably expect in future. The government has already signed an extension to a contract under which it has leased 14 Gripens for a 10-year period at a cost of CZK 20 billion.

Author: Ian Willoughby