Czech Army military acquisitions for 2021 to reach over EUR 954 Mn.

For 2021, beyond the payments already allocated for purchased vehicles and equipments, the Czech Ministry of Defense plans to acquire new armaments whose payments will be spread over several years, czdjournal reports.
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T-72M4 main battle tank of the Czech Army. (Picture source Army Recognition)

A contract has already been concluded for 16 portable RBS-70NG anti-aircraft missile sets from Saab, with which soldiers of the 25th anti-aircraft missile regiment are already training in Strakonice. In the budget of 2021, EUR 22.807Mn (597.5 million Crowns) remain to be paid out of the total acquisition price of 1.148 billion. For their transport, the ministry buys 16 Tatra 8x8 chassis for a total of EUR10.38Mn (272 million Crowns), of which it plans to pay EUR5.8Mn (152Mn Crowns) in 2021.

The Ministry of Defense will pay another EUR11.25Mn (294.7 million Crowns) for the highly monitored acquisition of two passive DPET surveillance systems (VERA NG) this year, for which it has already paid ERA a.s. an unprecedentedly high advance of EUR17.38Mn (455.3 million crowns) in spring 2020. Payments are spread over 2023 and will total the discussed amount of EUR57.56Mn (1.508 billion crowns).

The purchase of 40 S-LOV-CBRN I light armored vehicles and 40 vehicles in variant II from the Military Research Institute (VVÚ) for the 31st Regiment of the radiological, chemical and biological protection in Liberec also continues. In 2021 there will be an amount of EUR62.10Mn (1.627 billion crowns), in 2022 EUR55.38Mn (1.451 billion crowns) out of the total of 195.05Mn (5.110 billion crowns).

The T-72M4 CZ tanks are undergoing a technical improvement based on a contract signed with the VOP CZ in September 2020, thanks to which they should remain in service until 2033. In 2021, expenditures for this project are not planned; in total, the MoD will pay EUR41.95Mn (1.099 billion crowns) for the modernization. The tanks are to be delivered back to service by the end of 2025, so that they can be deployed within a rearmed heavy-duty brigade task force, which the Czech Republic promissed to form by January 1, 2026.

Closely related to this is the most watched and largest Czech military acquisition project ever - the acquisition of 210 tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicles in seven variants for mechanized battalions of the 7th Brigade. If the contract is signed by the middle of the year, ie shortly before the elections, the Ministry of Defense plans to spend EUR160.7Mn (4.210 billion crowns) on this project in 2021. Like the above mentioned tanks, the IFVs are to be available by January 1, 2026, and the total cost should reach EUR1.973Bn (51.684 billion crowns).

In 2021, the Ministry will pay EUR969.548 (25.4 million Crowns) for seven LOV-Pz light armored reconnaissance vehicles from the Military Technical Institute (VTÚ) for the 13th Artillery Regiment, and another EUR5.82Mn (152.3 million crowns) of the total price of EUR13.57Mn (355.4 million crowns) in 2022.

And another monitored order is also heading to the 13th Artillery Regiment, which is 52 CAESAR self-propelled 155 mm howitzers with a total value of EUR227.16Mn (5.951 billion crowns). Negotiations are underway on the amount of advances that should be paid in 2021. In the draft budget, the ministry expects to spendEUR19.09Mn ( 500 million crowns). According to some reports, the French supplier is asking for an advance of 30% of the total price. The CAESARs are to be delivered by 2026.

A final decision will be made on the acquisition of four short-range air defense batteries (SHORAD). The Ministry of Defense has chosen the Israeli Spyder system from Rafael and IAE, and expects a total of EUR381.71Mn (10 billion Crowns) and delivery by 2026. For 2021, the costs are not reserved in the budget and the first EUR38.54Mn (800 million crowns) should be paid in 2022.

The Ministry of Defense reserved the amount of EUR10Mn (263.4 million crowns) for the acquisition of a new artillery fire control system, which is to be delivered with accessories for a total of EUR34.5Mn (909.7 million crowns) by 2025, based on the results of a competition organized by the Military Technical Institute. Five states will be addressed, resp. fire control system manufacturers from the following countries: Germany (ADLER), Denmark (THOR), Norway (ODIN), France (ATLAS) and Poland (TOPAZ).

EUR23.37Mn (616.5 million Crowns) are planned for 2021 for the purchase of wheeled armored vehicles Titus from the Tatra Defense Vehicle company (6 command-staff, 36 communications vehicles, 20 as a place of coordination of artillery support and 6 staff workplaces). In total, it will be EUR230.7Mn (6.071 billion crowns) by 2023.

A very important item is the next payment for the American AH-64 Venom and Viper helicopters, in 2021 in the amount of EUR106.8Mn (2.811 billion crowns) out of a total of EUR667.77Mn (17.573 billion crowns). The agreement with the U.S. government was concluded in December 2019 and the helicopters should be available in 2023.

EUR64.6Mn (1.7 billion crowns) is set aside for next year to lease the JAS-39 C/D Gripen multi-purpose fighter jets. The lease lasts until 2027 with a total cost of EUR734.31Mn (19.324 billion crowns), and the need to decide on the future of the Czech supersonic air force, or means to ensure the integrity of airspace is closing fast. The decision should be made by autumn 2021.

In the total amount mentioned and other projects for 2021 represent costs in the amount of EUR608Mn (16 billion Crowns) and a total of EUR5.175Bn (136.2 billion crowns). In total, the Army expects investments of EUR953.8Mn (25.1 billion crowns), EUR877.8Mn (23.1 billion crowns) should go to current expenditures and EUR1.414Bn (37.2 billion crowns) to mandatory expenditures. The ten missing billions as a result of the Government concession to the Communists, if they did not return to the MoD budget from the reserve, could have a fatal long-term impact on investment spending. There would be a risk of delays beyond those we "can" cause ourselves in the field of military acquisitions other than due to lack of funds. Instead of the desirable reduction in the internal debt that the Army has been dragging on for many years, this would increase.

Not only in view of the completely opposite situation in Hungary or Poland, or in neutral Sweden, whose governments are significantly increasing defense investment despite the difficult economic situation, there is no room for populism. When it gets bad, we will find out that we need the army no less than health care, which the army is intensively helping this year anyway, czdjournal concludes.