U.S. Says Yes to Czech Republic for F-35A Jets Buy

The U.S. State Department approved the sale of stealthy F-35A combat jets and munitions to the Czech Republic valued $5.62 billion.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.

The Czech Republic wants to buy 24 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) Aircraft; 25 Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 Engines (24 installed, 1 spare); 70 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM); 3 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM Guidance Sections; 86 GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bombs - Increment II (SDB-II) StormBreaker All-Up-Rounds (AUR); 2 GBU-53 SDB-II Guided Test Vehicles (GTV); 3 GBU-53 SDB-II Captive Carry Reliability Trainers (CCRT); 12 Mk-84 General Purpose 2,000-lb Bombs or BLU-109 2,000-lb Penetrator Bombs for the GBU-31; 12 KMU-556/KMU-557 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) Tail Kits for the GBU-31; 50 AIM-9X Block II/II+ Tactical Sidewinder Missiles; 10 AIM-9X Block II Tactical Sidewinder Guidance Units; 18 AIM-9X Block II Tactical Sidewinder Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM); and 4 AIM-9X Block II CATM Guidance Units.

The contract also covers provision of related equipment and support. The estimated total cost is $5.62 billion, the DSCA said in a press release.

The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, Fort Worth, TX; Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, AZ; and The Boeing Company, St. Louis, MO. The purchaser typically requests industrial participation.