Czech Air Force
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The Czech Air Force () is the
air force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
branch of the Army of Czechia. Along with the Land Forces, the Air Force is the major Czech military force. With traditions of military aviation dating back to 1918, the Czech Air Force, together with the
Slovak Air Force The Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic (), is the aviation and air defense branch of the Military of Slovakia, Slovak Armed Forces. Operating 15 aircraft and 18 helicopters fro ...
, succeeded the
Czechoslovak Air Force The Czechoslovak Air Force (''Československé letectvo'') or the Czechoslovak Army Air Force (''Československé vojenské letectvo'') was the air force branch of the Czechoslovak Army formed in October 1918. The armed forces of Czechoslovakia c ...
in 1993. On 1 July 1997, the 3rd Tactical Aviation Corps and the 4th
Air Defence Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
Corps of the Czech Army were merged to form an independent Air Force
Headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...
. The air force is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czechia's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NIADS),
close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...
to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the air force contributes to tasks originating in the Czech laws and inter-ministerial agreements, for example to the
air ambulance Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of urgent medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation an ...
service or the SAR role. Czech JAS 39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the
air defence Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...
of the Czechia and the NATO within the system of NATINAMDS. In the so-called national reinforcement system the subsonic L-159 ALCA jets could be deployed to fulfil this task too. The
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
surveillance of the airspace of the Czech Republic is the responsibility of the 26th Air Command, Control and
Surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing, or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...
Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
at Stará Boleslav. Altogether seven radio-technical
companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...
are spread around the country so that they can continuously cover its whole territory.


History


First years

The separation saw a large reduction in types, numbers, and bases. In 1994, the 3rd Corps of Tactical Aviation was created. The newest fighter in the
Czechoslovak Air Force The Czechoslovak Air Force (''Československé letectvo'') or the Czechoslovak Army Air Force (''Československé vojenské letectvo'') was the air force branch of the Czechoslovak Army formed in October 1918. The armed forces of Czechoslovakia c ...
arsenal was the
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twinjet, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the large ...
(Izdelie 9.12). As there was only one general maintenance kit, which was given to newly created
Slovak Republic Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's ...
, and all the material was split 1:1 with Slovakia, maintenance costs for the Czech Fulcrums would be too high. Along with the unreasonably high costs, speculative costs for spare parts imported from Russia, which were realised through third-party companies (
Mil Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity transport helicopter, troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and was introduced ...
rotor blades acquisitions were over-priced by 400%), this led to the exchange of 10 MiG-29s with Poland for PZL W-3A Sokół rescue helicopters with avionics and ground support. Therefore, 10 air superiority fighters were exchanged for 11 light helicopters and this acquisition became a strongly discussed affair during the mid-1990s. The burden of readiness squadron passed to the
MiG-23 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 (; NATO reporting name: Flogger) is a variable-geometry fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the Soviet Union. It is a third-generation jet fighter, alongside similar Soviet aircra ...
s. The new-era Air Force of the Czech Army was effectively formed on 1 July 1997 when the 3rd Corps of Tactical Aviation and the 4th Air Defence Corps were united. The members of both units have taken part in
Alliance An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or sovereign state, states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an a ...
actions since the Czech Republic entered NATO on 12 March 1999. The Air Force began to revise and update its doctrines and aircraft and the acquisition of a new, western fighter was considered. MiG-23MFs were retired in 1994, MLs in 1998 and
MiG-21 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (; NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet aircraft, jet fighter aircraft, fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan, Mikoyan-Gurevich OKB, Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Its nicknames in ...
s were reestablished as an interim type for what was supposed to be a transition period before buying a new fighter – which was determined to be the Swedish JAS 39 Gripen multi-role fighter aircraft. Because of the devastating floods that hit the country during 2002, the deal was deferred.


2000s

A new international tender was issued for an interim solution. Gripen again won this tender among six different bidders as the Czech Republic accepted a government-to-government 10-year lease from
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
that did not involve
BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...
. Media allegations of BAE Systems kickbacks to decision makers during the original sales effort have led nowhere in judicial inquiries. In 2006 Kateřina Hlavsová, became the first female jet aircraft pilot in modern Czech history and as of 2025, Hlavsová holds the rank of Major in the Czech Air Force. In December 2008, the Czech Air Force wanted to train helicopter pilots for desert conditions for the upcoming mission in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
.
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
was the only country that was ready to help out, as it saw this as an opportunity to thank the Czech Republic for training Israeli pilots and supporting Israel when it first became a state. The independence of the Czech Air Force was terminated on 1 December 2003 when the force became a part of newly established Joint Forces of the Czech Army with the command post located at
Olomouc Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region. Located on the Morava (rive ...
. Within the new structure the Air Force Commander-in-Chief was named as a Joint Forces Chief Commander Deputy.


2010s

The Air Force operated within this structure until 30 June 2013. Within the framework of the reorganisation of the Army, on 1 July 2013 the independent High Command of the Czech Air Force (
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
: ''Velitelství vzdušných sil'') was established, headquartered in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
with new Commander in Chief Brigadier General Libor Štefánik. Former Joint Forces Command and Support Forces Command HQs were disbanded by 30 June 2013. With the Gripen contract due to expire in 2015, speculation mounted about whether that leasing agreement will be renewed or another type of fighter plane chosen. The Czech government expected a tender to be organised to provide a force of 18 supersonic fighters after 2015. The JAS 39 Gripen was generally accepted as the most effective option owing to the existing infrastructure, the availability of trained personnel and previous good operational experience. However, the background of the existing contract – specifically the broadly discussed issue of alleged corruption – prevented politicians from settling for this quick solution, favouring instead a general tender with more bidders offering such types as the
F-16 The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it e ...
, F/A-18, F-15SE or F-35A. The creation of a non-supersonic air force has also been discussed as an option, owing to the perceived high costs and limited usefulness of keeping supersonic assets in a country surrounded by allied countries (all are European Union members and NATO members, except
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
). In this scenario the subsonic L-159 would become the backbone of the air force. The latest 2011 White Book clearly states that the supersonic fleet is to be continued for the protection of the Czech Republic and for co-operation within the NATO Integrated Air Defence System. Twelve single-seat and two twin-seat aircraft are viewed as sufficient for patrolling the Czech Republic, while 18 can support the sentry role in other NATO countries. A preliminary RFI requested 18 aircraft. The White Book specifies the 12+2 solution, requiring strategic requirements for the supersonic air force to be specified by November 2011. On 16 May 2014, the director general of the Swedish defence and export agency FXM and the Czech deputy defence minister for defence acquisitions signed the "Annex prolonging agreement of lease of the JAS 39 Gripen aircraft", ensuring also the continuous upgrading and increasing the capabilities of these machines. The Swedish
supersonic aircraft A supersonic aircraft is an aircraft capable of supersonic flight, that is, flying faster than the speed of sound (Mach number, Mach 1). Supersonic speed, Supersonic aircraft were developed in the second half of the twentieth century. Supersonic ...
will equip the Czech Air Force until 2027 with an option for further two years. Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnický has unveiled plans to replace
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
-designed military equipment with new weapons and to acquire helicopters and radars for the Czech Air Force, with tenders expected to be launched in 2015. In June 2019, the Czech Defence Minister submitted a contract to the government for the procurement of two C-295 transport aircraft to replace its
Yakovlev Yak-40 The Yakovlev Yak-40 (; NATO reporting name: Codling) is a regional jet designed in Soviet Union by Yakovlev. The trijet's maiden flight was in 1966, and it was in production from 1967 to 1981. It was introduced to service in 1968, with export mo ...
s. On 22 August 2019, Czech Prime Minister
Andrej Babiš Andrej Babiš (; born 2 September 1954) is a Czech businessman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, prime minister of the Czech Republic from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as the Finance Minister of the Cze ...
announced that the Czech Air Force had selected an offer from
Bell Helicopter Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, United States as well as commercial heli ...
for eight UH-1Y Venom and four AH-1Z Viper helicopters. A contract for the helicopters was signed on 13 December 2019.


2020s

In September 2020, both old Soviet Yak-40 transports were decommissioned in Kbely Air Force Base. In September 2021, the last small VIP transport plane CL-601 Challenger ended its service. In March 2022, it was removed from military air registry, and it is now one of the components of Military History Institute. In September 2021, Czech Defense minister Lubomír Metnar signed contract with government of Israel for SPYDER Air Defense systems to replace old Soviet era 2K12M2 Kub ( SA-6) systems. In April 2022, after Czech republic donated some of its Mi-24 helicopters to Ukraine as part of the military support, the US DoD decided to give additional 6 AH-1Z Viper and 2 UH-1Y Venom from their reserves as a gift to boost insufficient number of already ordered helicopters. They should be delivered after modernisation in 2026 and 2027. The first two AH-1Z arrived in July 2023 and both AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters were presented to public for the first time during the 2023 NATO Days in Ostrava. All of the 12 ordered helicopters is expected to be delivered before the end of first quarter of 2024. In July 2022, Czech government selected F-35A Lightning II as a new fighter aircraft to enter service after lease of the JAS 39 ends in 2027. For that purpose minister of defence
Jana Černochová Jana Černochová (born 26 October 1973) is a Czech politician who has served as Ministry of Defence (Czech Republic), Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of Petr Fiala since December 2021. She has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the C ...
was authorized to start negotiation on procurement of 24 fighters with the government of United States of America. On 27 September the Czech government approved the conditions of the contract for 24 F-35A that would be delivered from 2029 to 2033. Czech Air Force together with
Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force () is the aerial warfare Military branch, branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel an ...
protects the airspace of
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
since 1 September 2022 when
Slovak Air Force The Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic (), is the aviation and air defense branch of the Military of Slovakia, Slovak Armed Forces. Operating 15 aircraft and 18 helicopters fro ...
grounded its old
MiG-29 The Mikoyan MiG-29 (; NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) is a twinjet, twin-engine fighter aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Developed by the Mikoyan design bureau as an air superiority fighter during the 1970s, the MiG-29, along with the large ...
and the term of delivery of the new F-16C fighters were postponed to 2024.


CzAF-NATO cooperation

Since the Czech Republic joined
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
, regular participation at a number of the Alliance's international exercises became a matter of course for the Czech Air Force. In 2009, the Czech Republic concluded an agreement regarding the
cross-border Borders are generally defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders ...
collaboration and training with neighbouring
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.


NATO Tiger Association

In 2002, the NATO Tiger Meet was held at the Beja Air Base in Portugal. The 331st Helicopter Squadron was honored there by proclaiming it as a full member of the NATO Tiger Association. The squadron also received the most prestigious trophy, the Silver Tiger. With its new 221st Helicopter Squadron designation the unit continues, rejuvenated by new incoming members, in the Tiger tradition through today. After the deployment of new JAS 39 Gripen fighters in 2005, four Gripens took part in the NATO Tiger Meet for the first time in 2008 at French Landivisiau. In 2010, the 211st Tactical Squadron was accepted as a full member of the NATO Tiger Association at Volkel Air Base, and the squadron was awarded a Silver Tiger Trophy.


AWACS

In 2011, the Czech Republic became the eighteenth country taking part in the NATO
Airborne Early Warning and Control An airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is an airborne radar early warning system designed to detect aircraft, ships, vehicles, missiles and other incoming projectiles at long ranges, as well as performing command and control of the ...
(NAEW&C) programme. Taking part in that international initiative means for Czech Air Force members an active participation in AWACS operations. A participation on the NAEW&C programme will cost the Czech Republic some 90 million
CZK The koruna, or crown (currency sign, sign: Kč; ISO 4217, code: CZK, ), has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union's eight currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to Czech Repub ...
a year.


Foreign deployments


Afghanistan

In December 2009, Czech Air Force members started to build-up a rear for their new helicopter unit to be deployed in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
. After that the first three modernized Mi-171Sh helicopters armed for self-defense with PKM machine guns were air-transported to Afghanistan by
Antonov An-124 Ruslan The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (; ; NATO reporting name: Condor) is a large, strategic airlift, four-engined aircraft that was designed in the 1980s by the Antonov design bureau in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union (USSR). The An-124 is the ...
transport aircraft Transport aircraft is a broad category of aircraft that includes: * Airliners, aircraft, usually large and most often operated by airlines, intended for carrying multiple passengers or cargo in commercial service * Cargo aircraft or freighters, fix ...
on 5 January 2010. To the FOB Sharana permanent forward operational base, all helicopters and unit members numbering 110 soldiers were flown on 17 January 2010. The Czech helicopter unit known as Task Force Hippo was ranged under Alliance Regional Command East. TF Hippo entered
ISAF The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...
operations on 25 January 2010. The first advisory group of the Czech Air Force was sent to Afghanistan in April 2008. Involved then there were members of the 231st of the time and the recent 221st Helicopter Squadron who have been tasked to participate in an establishment of the new
Afghan National Army The Islamic National Army (, ), also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Army and the Afghan Army, is the army, land force branch of the Afghan Armed Forces. The roots of an army in Afghanistan can be traced back to the early 18th century when th ...
. As a part of the international
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) were the NATO equivalent of the United States' Embedded Training Teams and were active in Afghanistan. Countries Teams from several countries provided training and operational support to the A ...
(OMLT) they started to work as instructors during training of Afghan
Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity transport helicopter, troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and was introduced ...
attack helicopter An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive (military), offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their ...
crews and in the same way to train ground personnel. A new Czech team was added to the deployment in 2010. The new Czech group consisted of pilots and technicians from the 243rd Helicopter Squadron, respectively from the 24th Transport Air Base at Prague-Kbely. The main task of Kbely AMT (Air Mentoring Team) section has been defined as air training of Afghan Mi-17/Mi-171 transport helicopter crews. The Czech Republic also provided material help to Afghan Air Force which included supplies of aviation equipment – six Mi-17 transport helicopters and six Mi-24 attack helicopters. After selected helicopters underwent major overhauls and modernizations all have been presented to the Afghan National Army during the 2007–2009.


Baltics

The Czech Republic first joined the Baltic Air Policing (BAP) mission from 1 May until 31 August 2009 when a four-Gripen contingent was based in
Baltic region The Baltic Sea Region, alternatively the Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states, refers to the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, including parts of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. Un ...
. The second mission of the task force took place from 1 September 2012 until 4 January 2013. The main task of the Baltic Air Policing 2012 mission was to ensure protection of the airspace over the land and water territory of the three
Baltic states The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...
Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
,
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
and
Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
. The whole mission was a part of NATINADS, operating from the Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania. Remaining Czech Air Force Gripens were also in a 24/7 readiness on their home base at Čáslav. As in 2009, also during the 2012 Baltic mission the targets of Alpha scrambles were
Russian military The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces—two independent comba ...
aircraft that failed to observe the flight rules of the civilian air corridors.


Sinai Peninsula

One of the most important tasks of the Czech military transport aviation in recent years is to provide support to the international
Multinational Force and Observers The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The MFO generally operates in and around the Sinai peninsula, ensuring free navigation through ...
(MFO) peace mission at the
Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai ( ; ; ; ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a land bridge between Asia and Afri ...
. A small unit with one transport C-295M
turboprop A turboprop is a Gas turbine, gas turbine engine that drives an aircraft Propeller (aeronautics), propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction drive, reduction gearbox, gas compressor, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propellin ...
belonging to the equipment of the 24th Transport Air Base at Prague-Kbely has operated there since early November 2013 and contributes to the surveillance and monitoring the peace agreement between
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
and
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
.


Ukraine

In relation to the 2014 Russian invasion of the Eastern Ukraine and occupation of Crimea the Government of the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
decided to provide help to the Ukrainian people. The first large-scale evacuation took place on 27 February 2014, when two aircraft departed the 24th Transport Air Base at Prague-Kbely for
Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
, Ukraine. The A319CJ was fitted with two PTUs (Patient Transport Units) and two
stretcher A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an medical device, apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type (cot or litter) must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher (known as a gurney, trolley, bed or ...
s, the C-295M carried one PTU and 12 stretchers. The aircraft brought 27 Ukrainian citizens to the Czech Republic. Medical care was provided during the flight by a team of military medical personnel from the Centre of the aviation rescue service at Plzeň-Líně and from the Central Military Hospital in Prague. The second
MEDEVAC Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters an ...
mission took place on 6 March 2014, when one C-295M brought to the Czech Republic further 11 wounded persons.


Structure

The Czech Air Force consists of the following main units:


Czech Air Force Command

The Czech Air Force Command is a staff component based in the Czech Armed Forces General Staff compound in
Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
.


Combat Forces

* 21st Tactical Air Force Base "
Zvolen Zvolen (; ; ) is a city in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers. It is famous for several historical and cultural attractions. It is surrounded by Poľana mountain from the East, by Kremnické vrchy from the ...
", in Čáslav ** 211th Tactical Squadron, with 14× JAS 39C/D Gripen ** 212th Tactical Squadron, with 14× L-159A ALCA. 2x L-159T1 ALCA ** 213th Training Squadron, with 2× L-159A ALCA, 3× L-159T1 ALCA, 3× L-159T2 ALCA * 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base "
Biscay Biscay ( ; ; ), is a province of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the Bay of Biscay, eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilb ...
", in
Náměšť nad Oslavou Náměšť nad Oslavou () is a town in Třebíč District in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 4,800 inhabitants. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monument (Czech Republic)#Monument z ...
** 221st Helicopter Squadron, with 4× AH-1Z, 6× UH-1Y ** 222nd Helicopter Squadron, with 15× Mi-171Sh


Combat Support Forces

* 24th Transport Air Force Base " T. G. Masaryk", in Prague-Kbely ** 241st Transport Squadron, with 2× A319CJ ** 242nd Transport and Special Squadron, with 6× CASA C-295, 6× L-410 ** 243rd Helicopter Squadron, with 1× Mi-8S,
Mi-17 The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories in Russia, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russia ...
, 10× W-3A *** HEMS station "Kryštof 07", with 1× W-3A, at Plzeň-Líně airport * 25th Air Defence Missile Regiment "
Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop ...
", in Strakonice ** 251st Air Defence Missile Group, with SPYDER LR ** 252nd Air Defence Missile Group, with RBS-70/NG * 26th Command, Control and Surveillance Regiment " General Karel Janoušek", in Stará Boleslav ** 261st Control and Reporting Centre (CRC), in Hlavenec, reports to
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
's Integrated Air Defense System CAOC Uedem in Germany ** 262nd Radiotechnical Battalion, in Hlavenec *** 1st Radiotechnical Company, in Nepolisy, with RAT-31DL *** 2nd Radiotechnical Company, in Polička, with EL/M-2084 mobile radar *** 3rd Radiotechnical Company, in Stará Ves nad Ondřejnicí, with radars EL/M-2084, ST-68U, and RL-4AS mobile radars *** 4th Radiotechnical Company, in Sokolnice, with RAT-31DL *** 5th Radiotechnical Company, in Třebotovice, with radars EL/M-2084 and ST-68U mobile radars *** 6th Radiotechnical Company, in Kříženec, with radars EL/M-2084, ST-68U, and RL-4AS mobile radars *** 7th Radiotechnical Company, in Hrušovany, with EL/M-2084 mobile radars ** 263nd Support Battalion, in Hlavenec *** Force Protection Company *** Reserve Control and Reporting Centre, in Větrušice *** Logistic Company ** Radar Maintenance Center, in
Olomouc Olomouc (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 103,000 inhabitants, making it the Statutory city (Czech Republic), sixth largest city in the country. It is the administrative centre of the Olomouc Region. Located on the Morava (rive ...
** Prague Air Traffic Services Station, at Prague Airport


Combat Service Support unit

* Pardubice Airfield Administration


Training

Flight Training Center Pardubice with 1× EV-97, 8× Z-142CAF, 1× Zlin Z-142, 1× Zlin Z-43, 7× L-39C Albatros, 1x L-39 Skyfox, 1× L-410UVP, 8x Enstrom 480B and 6×
Mi-17 The Mil Mi-17 (NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories in Russia, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russia ...
, is not a part of the Air Force. Primary flight training was outsourced as of 1 April 2004. CLV is a branch of LOM PRAHA s.p., state owned company.


Aircraft


Ordered


Current inventory


Notes


References


Bibliography

* Brown, Alan Clifford. ''The Czechoslovak Air Force in Britain, 1940–1945'' (PhD Thesis). University of Southampton, Faculty of Arts, School of Humanities, 1998, 237 pages

* * * * * * * Titz, Zdenek; Davies, Gordon and Ward, Richard. ''Czechoslovakian Air Force, 1918–1970 (Aircam Aviation Series no. S5)''. Reading, Berkshire, UK: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1971. .


External links


Global Security entry

Official Czech Army site

Book about JAS Gripen in Prague

Photo galleries of the Czech Air Force

Photo at Photo Planes.com


{{Authority control Czech Air Force, Air forces by country Military of the Czech Republic Aviation in the Czech Republic 1993 establishments in the Czech Republic Military units and formations established in 1993