The Minister of Defense Lubomir Metnar (ANO) informed the public in a press conference Tuesday that the purchase of 8 UH-1Y Venom and 4 AH-1Z Viper helicopters has been finalized and approved. The price includes the ammunition systems, ammunition, maintenance and training of staff.
Metnar went on to add that due to the transparent negotiation, the team managed a 14.6 billion Czech Crown price tag, which is identical to the price paid by the USA military. The helicopters are scheduled to be delivered in 2023 and will help modernize the army, replacing the MI-24 models which are at the end of their lifecycle.
The US made helicopters will also help wean the military away from reliance on Russian technical support used for the old models.
