Czech Republic President Petr Pavel proposed sending 4 L-159 to Ukraine, however Prime Minister Andrej Babiš later introduced that the plan had been rejected.
Opposing camps inside Czech politics have blocked the switch of sunshine fight jets to Ukraine. President Petr Pavel, a former Normal and head of NATO’s Army Committee, proposed on Jan. 16, 2026, to switch “a number of medium fight planes” throughout his go to to Kyiv, in line with Reuters.
Nevertheless, on Jan. 19, 2026, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who’s a part of a coalition of the ANO, SPD and Motorists events, rejected the plan, ČT24 reported. Each reviews additionally recognized the candidate plane because the Aero Vodochody L-159A ALCA, which the Czech Air Drive (CzAF) has been working as a lightweight fight plane and superior jet coach for the reason that early 2000s.
Another unverified reviews additionally talked about the plane may very well be the Aero L-39NG, however that is now largely believed to be unfaithful. As per the World Air Forces 2026 report, that counted figures as much as December 2025, the CzAF operates 24 L-159s and 11 L-39NGs, in addition to 14 JAS39 Gripen C/Ds as its frontline fighters, and has dedicated to the procurement of 24 F-35A Lightning IIs.
L-39NG may very well be additionally the choice, because it was launched with focusing on container and gun pods as properly. pic.twitter.com/aP6SXi3RHc
— Kamil Staščík 🇨🇿🇪🇺🇺🇦 (@Kamil42090261) January 17, 2026
Russian Geran-2 One-Method Assault (OWA) drones used to assault Ukraine are being shot down by utilizing door weapons of Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters and the primary gun of Mi-24 helicopters. The L-159As would make a significant addition to the cost-effective airborne counter-drone methods utilized by the nation.
Geran-2s are additionally evolving, and a few examples shot down in Ukraine have been discovered with R-60 and Man-Transportable Air Protection (MANPAD) put in on their high. The R-60 AAM was additionally not too long ago discovered on a jet-powered Shahed.
Second recognized downed Russian Shahed geared up with a R-60 air-to-air missile. This time R-60 was put in on a jet-powered Shahed. pic.twitter.com/GqiELLgCvC
— Particular Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 14, 2026
Change of plans
Pavel has been asserting army and diplomatic help to Ukraine since 2022, whereas criticizing Russia. On Jan. 7, forward of Pavel’s go to to Kyiv to fulfill with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Babiš himself had promised to proceed with the provision of ammunition, which the Czech Republic had been doing since 2024, Radio Prague Worldwide reported.
Nevertheless, the identical report cited a caveat that Babiš positioned, which was an indication of issues to return:. “Czechia won’t cancel its ammunition initiative for Ukraine and can proceed to coordinate the venture, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš stated after talks amongst leaders of the so-called ‘coalition of the keen’ in Paris on Tuesday. Babiš stated […] that the initiative will proceed solely whether it is financed by different nations, with no cash coming from Czech taxpayers.”
#Czechia/#Ukraine 🇨🇿🇺🇦:
The Czech authorities has determined that Czechia won’t promote it’s Aero L-159A Alca gentle fight plane to Ukraine.
President Petr Pavel stated that Ukraine had proposed to purchase 4 of the 24 plane utilized by the Czech Air Drive. Nevertheless, the Czech… pic.twitter.com/hQE80hReYR
— 𝕻𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖊 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖙𝖊𝖕𝖍 (@praisethesteph) January 19, 2026
Then, on Jan. 16, in the course of the assembly with Zelensky in Kyiv, Pavel informed a press convention: “The Czech Republic can in comparatively quick time present a number of medium fight planes, that are extremely efficient in combating drones, and I consider we are going to handle to shortly and efficiently conclude this challenge.”
On Jan. 19, CT24 introduced the choice of the coalition led by Babiš (ANO social gathering), Protection Minister Jaromír Zůna (SPD), and head of diplomacy Petr Macinka (Motorists), to “reject the sale of L-159 plane to Ukraine.” Whereas Zůna stated the CzAF wants the plane, Macinka stated Pavel “didn’t inform the federal government upfront” earlier than making the announcement in Kyiv.
The CT24 report cited a number of different opinions from Czech political personalities from each professional and anti-Ukraine sides, who pointed to every thing from the necessity to preserve credibility earlier than NATO allies, garnering export gross sales, differing views on the impression on CzAF’s army preparedness, to easy political tussles between numerous events.
Curiously, CT24 quoted a press release by Pavel final week who stated the variety of L-159 plane requested by Ukraine had been 4. This “represents a suitable stage of threat,” the report quoted Pavel.
L-159 and L-39
Of the 24 L-159s in service in Czechia, 16 are single-seat L-159As, and the remaining eight are within the two-seat L-159T1+ and T2 requirements. The L-159A is a multirole fight plane and jet coach with a Grifo-L multi-mode doppler radar, and might carry a variety of guided and unguided NATO weapons.
Další L-39 Skyfox úspěšně předán!
Dnes odletěl z Vodochod už 5. Skyfox professional LOM PRAHA.Letoun posílí výcvik pilotů v pardubickém Centru leteckého výcviku.#L39Skyfox #AeroVodochody #CzechAviation #PilotTraining pic.twitter.com/vZOqWQAMKY
— 🍀Tomáš Doupal 🇨🇿 (@TomasDoupa39474) January 20, 2026
5 out of 8. fifth L-39NG Skyfox was delivered to Flight Coaching Centre Pardubice. 3 extra can be delivered this 12 months. pic.twitter.com/GpNahMsXE4
— Daniel of Bohemia (@Danny_elMayor) January 19, 2026
A PL-20 dual-barrel gun pod on the centerline may very well be significantly helpful towards slow-flying drones. The T1+, first unveiled in March 2017, has upgraded mission methods, avionics, instrumentation and shows. The T2 in the meantime is a twin-seat jet, transformed from the older single-seat L-159A, with improved navigation, instrument and communication suites and ejection system.
Hey from @DubaiAirshow the place European 🇪🇺 innovation is on full show, together with this Skyfox from my dwelling nation 🇨🇿.
Simply because the EU is strengthening its defence readiness, our focus is on smarter mobility, stronger partnerships & a extra resilient Europe in a altering world. pic.twitter.com/w765vj82id
— Lucie Berger (@BergerLucie) November 19, 2025
Whereas the Aero L-39 Skyfox is a successor to the Chilly Warfare-era L-39 Albatross, the L-159 was derived from the L-59 Tremendous Albatross coach, itself based mostly on the L-39 Albatross. The L-39 Skyfox was additionally provided as a drone-hunting platform throughout final 12 months’s Dubai Air Present in November 2025, with a gun-pod, a Thales FZ275 LGR seven-shot rocket pod and a SiNAB Phoenix focusing on pod.
