Czech Republic buys Iron Dome air defense radars from Israel.

Israel Aerospace Industries will provide advanced systems to Prague over the course of 3 years for $125 million, the Defense Ministry says. Judah Ari Gross reports in the Times of Israel.

Iron Dome working process (Picture source: Rafael)

Israel on Thursday agreed to sell eight Iron Dome radar systems to the Czech Republic in a deal worth an estimated $125 million, the Defense Ministry said. According to the ministry, the eight ELM-2084 Multi-Mission Radars will be delivered to Prague over the course of three years, from 2021 to 2023. They are the radar arrays used in cooperation with interceptor missile launchers in Israel’s Iron Dome batteries.

The contract will be fulfilled by the Israeli Aerospace Industries subsidiary ELTA, which manufactures the radar systems, with 30 % of the money required to be spent within the Czech defense industry under the agreement, meaning “significant parts of the systems will be produced locally,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The director of the International Cooperation Directorate of the Israeli Defense Ministry, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Yair Kulas, said he hopes the agreement will pave the way for further deals with NATO countries.