The F-35 continues to dominate the European fighter sales market, with more nations slated to sign up to buy the combat aircraft.
The Czech Republic has joined the growing list of nations purchasing the Lockheed Martin F-35, making it arguably the preeminent combat aircraft in Europe. It is now in service with five nations and ordered or selected by another seven, with Greece and Spain likely to follow in their footsteps.
Although Prague selected the aircraft in July 2022, defense ministers and procurement officials have been working to convince the government that the F-35 was the right choice—and their mind was finally made up on Sept. 27. “The F-35 system is essentially becoming the standard,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told journalists at the announcement.
- First Czech deliveries are planned for 2029
- F-35s will replace both Gripen and L-159s in 2035
- Fourteen work packages have been secured for Czech industry
“[The F-35] is purchased by most of the member countries of the North Atlantic alliance, and in this case, we are also betting on safety. . . . And with this step we actually tell our allies that we take the defense of our country seriously and that they can count on us,” Fiala added.
With the government green light and backing from Washington, Prague can push ahead with the Foreign Military Sale of 24 F-35As, along with pilot training, equipment, spares and a weapons package for 106 billion Czech korunas ($4.6 billion) to be paid over 11 years.
Sweden’s Saab, whose Gripen C/D fighter is currently the backbone of the Czech Air Force, had pushed hard to have its Gripen proposal heard, including an offer to Prague to keep its current leased fleet of 14 aircraft for free if the government also ordered a dozen Gripen Es. That offer was not considered by the Czech government.
In light of the Gripen proposal, former air force pilots and officials questioned the F-35 choice in the country’s media. One concern raised has been whether the air force, with such a small fleet—the smallest ordered in Europe so far—will be able to make full use of the platform’s capabilities. The air force’s Gripens are largely only used for air defense and air policing missions, although they added an air-to-ground mission in recent years.
Critics also questioned the F-35’s operating costs. That issue has been a hot topic among even mature operators of the aircraft, including the U.S. and UK. The Czech Republic must also prepare Caslav air base for F-35 operations. The price tag for that, including fuel and the training of base personnel, is expected to be 44 billion korunas.
The media criticisms prior to the Sept. 27 decision prompted an angry 2,400-word rebuttal from the Czech defense ministry earlier in September, which claimed that “inaccurate and misleading information” had been published. The government stated that acquiring the F-35 would be cheaper than purchasing the E-model Gripen.
Saab later rebutted that claim, using data provided to the company by Aviation Week analysts that detailed the estimated through-life costs of both types. That analysis suggests that each F-35 would cost around $452 million over a 37 year life span when operated 200 hr. a year. The Gripen E would cost $239 million over the same lifetime, according to the analysis. The Czech defense ministry released more data after the F-35 decision, based on information provided by Sweden in July, showing that 24 Gripen Es would have been more expensive to procure at 128 billion korunas versus the F-35 procurement price of 106 billion korunas. Other nations have come to similar conclusions about their relative costs.
The F-35’s operating costs are expected to be higher—4.9 billion korunas per year including fuel and weaponry after 2034 based on U.S. government data, compared with 3.7 billion korunas for the Gripen E. The Czech defense ministry also states that the F-35 is 30% more expensive in terms of real estate infrastructure.
The Czech government said the purchase price and operating costs were not the sole factors in its decision-making process. Its examination of six additional criteria concluded that “the F-35 finished first, and the Gripen wasn’t even second,” it said. The government said that the F-35’s longer development road map and planned service life into the 2060s suggests it could remain in service longer than the Gripen E. Opposition parties have suggested that the procurement plans be delayed for two years so that further analysis of the country’s air defense can be carried out.
Defense Minister Jana Cernochova admitted that the cost of the F-35 was indeed a high price to pay, but insisted it represented just 7.5% of annual upcoming defense spending in 2024-34 and that it would not harm the modernization of the rest of the armed forces. She said the purchase and life cycle of the aircraft would cost each Czech citizen 700 korunas, the equivalent of $30 a year. “[It is] the price of defending our airspace that is necessary. It is the solution for a secure future for all of us,” she said.
Lt Gen. Karel Rehka, chief of the Czech military’s general staff, told journalists at the Sept. 27 announcement: “We have to realize that with the large number of these machines that will operate in Europe and their interconnections, we will be able to use sensors and information from our allies. We’re talking about a network of more than 600 aircraft here, and that’s a force with major deterrence potential to deter a possible adversary from trying to attack us. . . . Thanks to these aircraft, our army will be able to fully operate in all operational domains for the conduct of war and ensure the effective defense of the Czech Republic.”
With deliveries of its F-35s not due to start until 2029—into the U.S. initially for training and then into the Czech Republic two years later—and then run through 2034, Prague will have to extend its lease of the Gripens. The contract was originally due to end in 2027 but would need to run for another eight years until the transition from the Gripen to the F-35 is complete.
The Czech Air Force is also slated to retain half of its locally developed Aero Vodochody L-159 Advanced Light Combat Aircraft (ALCA) until 2035, with the other half planned to be withdrawn from use in 2029. Initial operational capability with the F-35 is envisaged for 2032, and full operational capability is planned three years later.
The Czech defense ministry says it has already secured up to 14 work packages for local industry, including 11 from Lockheed Martin and three from engine-maker Pratt & Whitney, which include the “possibility of direct involvement in the global supply chain for F-35 aircraft.” These projects will, say officials, localize pilot training, research and development, maintenance, service and repairs of the Czech F-35 fleet. The contracts are valued at 15 billion korunas.
It is unclear whether Prague will seek production of some of its F-35s in Italy, as is done by the Netherlands or Switzerland. That potential option is mentioned fleetingly in infographics published by the defense ministry.
Lockheed Martin said it was honored that the Czech Republic selected the aircraft. The OEM said in a statement that its partnership with the country’s industry would “deliver benefits in research and development, manufacturing and sustainment. . . . The F-35’s growing presence across Europe is a powerful example of alliance-based deterrence and is setting the foundation for NATO and allied nation’s next-generation airpower capability.” As the Czech decision was being made, Romania also began its own process for acquiring the F-35. It plans to purchase 48 aircraft in a multiphased program, paid for with increases in the country’s defense budget to the equivalent of 2.5% of GDP during 2023-24.
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