Defence

Flight International online news 13:00GMT: Pilots from the Swedish defence procurement agency, FMV, today delivered two dual seat Gripen multi-role fighters to the Cáslav Air Base in the Czech Republic.


                                                                                                                          Source: FMV

 The aircraft, the latest variant of the Gripen, are the last of 16 that the Czech Air Force will lease until 2015.

Since the signing of the lease agreement in Prague in June 2004 Sweden has produced, tested and delivered all the Gripen aircraft to the Czech Air Force. In this fourteen month period Czech Air Force pilots and technicians have also been trained on the Gripen system by the Swedish Armed Forces in Sweden.

The Czech Air Force Gripen aircraft have taken over the task of patrolling the Czech Republic’s airspace and have entered service as part of the NATO system.

To date the Czech Air Force have flown some 300 flight hours since the first Gripen aircraft arrived in April 2005.

The Czech Republic is the first NATO country to operate the latest generation Gripen multi-role/swing-role fighter, which are equipped with full-colour cockpit displays, a retractable air-to-air refuelling probe and are fully NATO interoperable. 

ROSS BENTLEY/LONDON