The US State Department approves the sale of F-35 fighter jets to the Czech Republic
The U.S. Department of Defense said on June 29 that the U.S. State Department has approved the sale of F-35 fighter jets and other weapons and equipment to the Czech Republic. The total order is estimated to reach 5.62 billion U.S. dollars.
According to Reuters, the United States will sell a batch of F-35 fighter jets and a spare engine, 70 AIM-120C-8 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, various types of bombs and related accessories, parts, and technical support to the Czech Republic. Major suppliers include Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Boeing.
On the 29th, the US Congress approved the above-mentioned arms sales plan submitted by the Defense and Security Cooperation Agency of the US Department of Defense on the same day. However, this does not mean that the United States and the Czech Republic have negotiated or signed a contract. The two sides did not disclose the details of the contract being negotiated, and it is not clear the number of fighters included in the order.
The Czech government said last year that it intends to purchase 24 F-35 fighters from the United States to replace the Gripen fighters leased from the Swedish Saab Group.