Czech helicopter compensation delayed until 2028 amid high demand
As reported by the Militarney portal, the Czech army will not receive the helicopters promised by the USA in 2022 as compensation for aid to Ukraine for several more years. The delivery date has been revised multiple times, and current plans generally project the arrival around "the turn of 2027 and 2028."
Prague reached an agreement with the United States in 2019 to acquire new helicopters. Under the signed contract, the Czech army would receive 12 helicopters: four AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and eight UH-1Y Venom multi-role helicopters. The helicopters have already been delivered in batches, with the final delivery arriving in the Czech Republic by June 2024.
The Czechs are waiting for compensation for aid to Ukraine
The issue arises with the eight additional helicopters of the same type, which the United States promised to provide free of charge (excluding modernization and transport costs) under the Excess Defense Article (EDA) program as compensation for aid to Ukraine. Prague, a faithful ally of Kyiv, also decided to send some of its older helicopters—Mi-24 and Mi-35—to the front.
Initial estimates suggested that six AH-1Z Vipers and two UH-1Y Venoms from the American Marine Corps could be refurbished, renewed, and delivered to the Czech army by the end of 2023. However, the delivery date was pushed to 2025 and 2026 over time, and those plans are no longer valid.
"We should receive the helicopters at the turn of 2027 and 2028," said Lubor Koudelka, head of the armaments section in the Czech Ministry of Defense.
Modern helicopters of the Czech army
The delay is attributed to the United States being "overwhelmed with orders," and local factories cannot expedite the preparation of helicopters for the Czech Republic.
Bell Helicopter Textron's helicopters represent a significant advancement in modernizing Czech aviation. They offer considerably greater capabilities than the Soviet-era helicopters that Prague decided to send to support Kyiv.
The AH-1Z Viper is an attack helicopter measuring almost 59 feet in length. It is equipped with an M197 20-mm cannon and can carry other weapons, including the Czechs' chosen Hydra 70 rockets.
The UH-1Y Venom, on the other hand, is a multi-role helicopter with very similar dimensions to the AH-1Z Viper but achieves a slightly higher maximum speed (over 186 mph). The interior is designed for a larger crew and has somewhat different weaponry—7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine guns. The UH-1Y Venom can also carry additional suspended weapons on two pylons instead of the six available on the AH-1Z Viper.
