Czech Air Force

The Czech Air Force (Czech: Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky, literally the "Air Force of the Army of the Czech Republic"), is the air force branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. 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, succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force in 1993. On July 1^st 1997, the 3rd Tactical Aviation Corps and the 4th Air Defence Corps of the Czech Army were merged to form an independent Air Force Headquarters.

The Air Force is responsible for securing the integrity of the Czech Republic's airspace through the NATO Integrated Air Defence System (NIADS), close air support to the Land Forces and for transportation tasks including government and state priority flights. In peacetime the Air Force is contributing to tasks originating in the Czech laws and interministerial agreements, for example to the air ambulance service or the SAR role.

Czech JAS-39C/D Gripen multirole fighters fulfill primarily the tasks related to the air defence of the Czech Republic 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 surveillance of the airspace of the Czech Republic is a responsibility of the 26th Air Command, Control and Surveillance Regiment at Stará Boleslav. Altogether seven radio-technical companies are spread around the country so that they can continuously cover its whole territory.

Aircraft Inventory

Combat Aircraft

• Saab JAS 39C Gripen x 12 (Multirole Fighter)
• Aero L-159A ALCA x 16 (Light Attack Aircraft)

ELINT Aircraft

• LET L-410FG Turbolet x 2 (Reconnaissance Aircraft)

Transport Aircraft

• Airbus A319CJ x 2 (VIP Transport)
• CASA C-295M x 4 (Cargo Transport) - two more on order
• Canadair Challenger 601 x 1 (VIP Transport)
• Embraer KC-390 Millennium x 0 (Transport) - 2 on order
• LET L-410UVP Turbolet x 5 (Utility Transport)
• Yakovlev Yak-40 x 2 (VIP Transport)

Helicopters

• Bell UH-1Y Venom x 0 (Utility Helicopter - 8 on order + 2 more to be gifted
• Bell AH-1Z Viper x 0 (Attack Helicopter) - 4 on order + 6 more to be gifted
• Mil Mi-8/Mi-17/171 x 23 (Utility Helicopter)
• Mil Mi-24/35 x 17 (Attack Helicopter)
• PZL W-3A Sokół x 9 (Utility Helicopter)
• Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawk x 0 (Utility Helicopter) - 12 on order

Trainer Aircraft

• Aero L-39ZA Albatros x 9 (Jet Trainer)
• Aero L-159T1 ALCA x 5 (Jet Trainer)
• Saab JAS 39D Gripen x 2 (Conversion Trainer)