On May 3rd, the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic announced that it has extended the lease of its Gripen fighter jets with Sweden until 2035, allowing the country to avoid capability gaps ahead of the arrival of its newly ordered F-35As from the United States. According to official communications, the agreement stands out for being 25% cheaper than the offer made last year, though it is still pending approval by the Czech parliament.
To elaborate, it is worth recalling that the current lease agreement was set to expire in 2027, while the first Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters are expected to begin arriving in Czech territory in 2031. Prague’s original goal is to achieve full operational capability with the new fighters by 2035—the same year the Swedish Gripens would finally be retired from the Czech Air Force, after over 30 years in service.
It has been reported that the Czech government will invest approximately 6.012 billion Swedish kronor (around USD 624.7 million) to extend the lease of most of its current Gripen fleet—an important reduction compared to the USD 732 million figure speculated in April of this year. Notably, the majority of this budget is not allocated to leasing per se, but rather to cover increased maintenance costs due to the aging aircraft. Additionally, around 1.454 billion kronor will be used to modernize the jets.
Aligned with the above, it’s also important to note that Prague’s cost savings are partly due to the reduction of its current fleet from 14 to 12 aircraft, comprising ten single-seat and two two-seat fighters. On this, Major General Petr Čepelka, current Commander of the Czech Air Force, stated: “Even with a smaller number of aircraft, we will ensure the protection of the Czech Republic’s airspace. At the same time, we will guarantee smooth pilot training and their transition to the new F-35 platform. NATO has been informed about the future reduction in aircraft numbers, with the understanding that this will be taken into account when planning for the protection of the joint airspace.”
Lastly, regarding the acquisition of fifth-generation F-35A fighters by the Czech Republic, the contract was authorized by the United States in June 2023 and involves the delivery of 24 aircraft. For this purpose, Prague agreed to invest over USD 5.5 billion, which, in addition to the aircraft, includes a broad range of weaponry—among them 70 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, 50 AIM-9X Block II/II+ Sidewinders, and 80 GBU-53/B (SDB-II) bombs.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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