The United States approved the sale of as many as 24 F-35 fighter jets to the Czech Republic in a proposed foreign military sales (FMS) deal worth an estimated $5.6 billion.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the possible sale on Thursday. The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Boeing. The sale, which requires congressional approval, could take years to complete.
The FMS proposal includes the 24 F-35 fighter aircraft, plus 25 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 engines (24 installed, one spare). The associated weapons and support equipment includes
- 70 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM)
- 86 GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bombs – Increment II (SDB-II) StormBreaker All-Up-Rounds (AUR)
- 2 GBU-53 SDB-II Guided Test Vehicles (GTV)
- 12 Mk-84 General Purpose 2,000-lb Bombs or BLU-109 2,000-lb Penetrator Bombs for the GBU-31
- 12 KMU-556/KMU-557 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Tail Kits for the GBU-31
- 50 AIM-9X Block II/II+ Tactical Sidewinder Missiles
- 10 AIM-9X Block II Tactical Sidewinder Guidance Unit
- 18 AIM-9X Block II Tactical Sidewinder Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM)
- 4 AIM-9X Block II CATM Guidance Units.
The sale will improve Czech “defense capabilities as well as support NATO operations by guarding against modern threats and maintaining a constant presence in the region,” the DSCA said in a release.
Last year, the Czech government expressed willingness to buy 24 F-35 jets to replace leased the Gripen fighters from Sweden’s Saab AB.
The F-35 proposed sale to the Czech Republic was reported immediately after the U.S. State Department approved a possible foreign military sale of 48 Patriot missile systems and other related equipment to Poland as part of a $15 billion deal for an Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS).
The two major weapons agreement between the United States and the NATO countries reflect the modernization efforts of air defense systems in Europe to boost regional security after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
