Czech Defense Ministry To Sign $635Mln Deal With US Gov't To Purchase 12 Helicopters

PRAGUE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2019) The Czech Defense Ministry has decided to purchase eight UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters and four AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters from the United States worth a total of 14.6 billion Czech crowns ($635 million), Defense Minister Lubomir Metnar said on Tuesday.

"This amount, apart from the helicopters, also covers weapons systems, ammunition, a training simulator and the cost of initial training for pilots and technicians. I hope that we will conclude the agreement with the US government by the end of this year and that our army will receive these helicopters in 2023," Metnar told reporters.

According to the minister, the Czech military wants to replace 17 Russian Mi-24/35 attack helicopters, since it no longer wants to be dependent on the supply of spare parts from Russia.