Prague, July 8 (CTK) – The Czech Defence Ministry plans to buy 16 new man-portable air-defence systems, RBS-70NG, from the Swedish Saab Dynamics AB, for more than one billion crowns plus VAT, its spokesman Petr Medek has told CTK.
The RBS-70NG will replace the “morally and technically outdated” S-10M air-defence system made in Russia. Saab Dynamics AB is to deliver the system in 2018-2020.
The planned purchase will be presented to the government on Monday, along with the plan for upgrading of the self-propelled gun-howitzers Dana, worth about 1.27 billion crowns.
The Czech military already has an older type of the RBS-70 short-range laser-guided anti-aircraft missile, which can destroy a helicopter or aircraft but also a long-range cruise missile. It is used to protect key industrial and military facilities, the army writes on its website.
Vladimir Lukovsky, from the ministry’s press section, told CTK that the planned purchase was suspended after media challenged it and it was checked from January to March.
No violation of the law on public contracts has been revealed, Lukovsky said.
The Dana gun-howitzer was made in the 1970s and its shooting range is short and its fire-control system outdated. Its upgrading or replacement has been discussed for several years.
According to earlier information, the contract for the upgrading is to be signed with the Czech firm Tatra Trucks in September.
The Defence Ministry was considering buying new gun-howitzers but it finally decided to modernise the old ones in order to save money and because it has ammunition worth several billions of crowns for the Danas.
Czech media wrote that the ministry still plans to buy a few new gun-howitzers.
Czech army is to receive the upgraded Danas in 2018-2020.
