After Czech Republic mulled order for 24 F-35A Lightning II fighters, Sweden’s ambassador says the country can keep Gripen aircraft for free

After Czech Republic mulled order for 24 F-35A Lightning II fighters, Sweden’s ambassador says the country can keep Gripen aircraft for free

By Dario Leone
Jun 30 2022
Share this article

The Swedish ambassador to Czech Republic Fredrik Jörgensen said in an interview with Seznam Správy that Czech can keep the Gripens that it leased from Sweden for free.

The Swedish ambassador to Czech Republic Fredrik Jörgensen said in an interview with Seznam Správy that Czech can keep the Gripens that it leased from Sweden for free, Alert 5 noted.

The news comes as Czech is looking into buying 24 fighters as the lease for the Gripens will expire in 2027.

According to Aerotime Hub, the F-35 is the leading contender. The other candidates are the newer Gripen E/F, the Eurofighter Typhoon, and the Lockheed Martin F-16V.

The information was confirmed by Lockheed Martin at the Berlin ILA Airshow on June 22, 2022.

The Czech Ministry of Defense in fact said he is considering the replacement of the 14 JAS-39 Gripen C/D fighters currently on lease from Saab until 2027 by acquiring at least 24 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters.

Following a study carried out to assess the needs of its combat aviation, the Czech Air Force “has already passed on to the ministry its idea of which aircraft should protect the Czech airspace in the coming years,” the local daily Echo24 reported on Jun. 20, 2022.

“Discussions are underway with two countries interested in purchasing the F-35,” JR McDonald, VP F-35 strategy and business development, told reporters during a briefing at the air show. The other country to have entered discussions is likely Greece, with a potential purchase of 20 F-35As. “As far as I know, the Czech Republic is closer to making a decision.”

The Czech Ministry of Defense is interested in acquiring a total of 24 new fighters, which would mean an additional tactical squadron compared to the current fighter fleet of the Czech Air Force.

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force


Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.



    Share this article
    Back to top
    My Agile Privacy
    This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

    List of some possible advertising permissions:

    You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
    Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices