Following a statement from the U.S. company Lockheed Martin, it was announced that production of the 24 F-35A Block IV aircraft for the Czech Air Force will begin in 2027, within the framework of Prague’s program to acquire a fifth-generation fighter. The milestone was confirmed after the signing of all committed industrial cooperation agreements linked to the F-35A Lightning II program, a step that consolidates the participation of Czech companies and institutions in the U.S. manufacturer’s supply chain.
The company reported that all 11 industrial cooperation agreements planned for the Czech F-35A program have already been signed. The announcement came after a signing ceremony with the company Ray Service at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, where a project was formalized for Lockheed Martin to assist the local firm in developing the capability to manufacture wiring harnesses for the F-35A.
Karl Sapienza, Director of F-35 Customer Programs at Lockheed Martin, stated: “With today’s signing, I am pleased to share that Lockheed Martin is actively executing all 11 committed projects, strengthening Czech industry, the F-35 program, and the collective defense industrial base.” He added: “We are proud to drive purposeful innovation and advance allied defense capability alongside Ray Service and all our Czech partners.”
For his part, the U.S. ambassador to the Czech Republic, Nicholas Merrick, said that “today’s agreement is a concrete example of how strategic defense investments boost our economies while strengthening our ties.” He also noted that “by integrating Czech talent into the global F-35 supply chain through partners such as Ray Service, we ensure that American innovation and Czech expertise work hand in hand.”
According to Lockheed Martin, its commitments to the Czech Republic’s industry include collaboration with 12 companies and universities. The projects are aimed at meeting Czech government requirements in areas related to research, development, design, testing, and manufacturing of advanced aerospace and defense technologies, as well as opening long-term opportunities in training, supply chain management, modifications, and future upgrades.
The purchase of the 24 F-35A aircraft had been confirmed by the Czech government in September 2023, after more than a year of negotiations and following U.S. approval. At the time, Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that the first fifth-generation fighters would arrive toward the end of the decade, while Defense Minister Jana Černochová specified that the package included the aircraft, equipment, weapons, pilot and personnel training, and sustainment through 2034, with an estimated value of $5.5 billion.
That package included 70 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, 50 AIM-9X Block II/II+ Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 80 GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb Increment II (SDB II) glide bombs, 12 2,000-pound Mk-84 general-purpose bombs, and 12 JDAM conversion kits. Subsequently, on January 29, 2024, Černochová and then U.S. ambassador Bijan Sabet signed the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA), formalizing the acquisition through the U.S. government’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
According to information released at the time, the Czech Air Force will receive its first F-35A in 2031. This timeline required Prague to reassess the continuity of its current fleet of JAS 39 Gripen fighters, leased from Sweden, in order to avoid a capability gap between the end of the current contract and the entry into service of the new stealth aircraft.
In this regard, in early May 2025 the Czech Ministry of Defense announced the extension of its Gripen lease until 2035. The measure will allow the country to maintain its air defense capability until the F-35A aircraft are progressively introduced, in a transition aimed at achieving full operational capability by 2035 and joining the growing group of European air forces operating the F-35.
*Images for illustrative purposes.
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