Posted on 04/19/2011 6:47:02 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Czech Republic may sell combat jets to Iraq
The Czech Republic is planning to offer Iraq a number of light attack aircraft and help Baghdad to modernize its helicopter fleet, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas will visit Iraq on May 23-24 to promote closer economic cooperation with Baghdad and sign an agreement on mutual protection of investments.
"The Czech Republic will offer Iraq L-159 combat aircraft, and we are also ready to take part in the upgrading of Iraqi helicopters," Schwarzenberg said on Monday after a meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari in Prague.
The single-seat L-159 ALCA is a light multi-role combat aircraft designed for a variety of air-to-air, air-to-ground and reconnaissance missions.
The jet was developed in the late 1990s by Aero Vodochody on the basis of the proven airframe design and aerodynamic configuration of the L39 Albatros and L59 family of combat trainers.
The aircraft is equipped with an advanced multi-mode radar for all-weather, day-and-night missions and can carry a wide range of NATO-standard payloads including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and laser guided bombs.
The Czech Defense Ministry announced in January that it planned to sell 36 L-159 ALCAs that the Czech military does not need.
In my mind it looks similar to the F-20 Tigershark That Chuck Yeager liked so much. Didn’t do a search to compare so may just be a pre coffee, partial memory rambling.
Funny how we save their butt and rebuild at our expense and they use their oil money to buy elsewhere.
The L-159 is a combat capable trainer aircraft. The US doesn’t have anything in the same category. The L-159 also uses Honeywell engines so it’s not right to say that the Iraqis are using their money elsewhere.
Czech it out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aermacchi_MB-339
I think the issue here is that the US has not had many successful export orders for trainers of late other than the T-6. The T-38 ceased production a long time ago so it hasn’t been particularly attractive to anyone. The T-45 is a navalised Hawk and countries (South Africa/Australia/India) still opted for the Hawk after the Goshawk began production.
This has been debated for a year now. Maybe, during the Czech PM’s visit next month, they will actually sign a deal.
Cheapest of the 4 options GoI was looking at for a Jet Trainer. And capable of light attack.
The other options in competition were not used aircraft:
South Korean T-50,
UK Hawk, or
Italian Maki 346.
Note: US is not building Jet Trainers ATT. We are looking at T-50 and Hawk as our future replacement.
You are aware that Czech forces participated in OIF?
With 2 exceptions all the aircraft used by the IqAF have come from OIF participating countries.
The exceptions are:
1. The Mi17s that USF-I/MNSTC-I shoved them into because the Iraqis had 900 Mi17 quallified pilots/flight engineers.
2. The French attack helos bought when the US refused to sell them Apaches.
Ah, yes. You meant in production. Quite true. US companies have not been sucessful lately at building something specifically for export, that the US military has not ordered.
FYIL The Korean T-50 is a joint KAI/Northrop trainer. It appears to be picking up in exports and is a contender to replace USAF Trainers.
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