Czech military faces delay in US helicopter compensation
As reported by the Militarnyi portal, the Czech army will not receive the helicopters promised by the USA in 2022 as compensation for aid to Ukraine for several more years. The delivery date has been changed multiple times, and current plans now mention the end of 2027 or early 2028.
In its quest for new helicopters, Prague reached an agreement with the United States back in 2019. A contract was signed in which the Czech army was to be bolstered with 12 helicopters—four AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and eight UH-1Y Venom multi-role helicopters. These machines have already been delivered in batches, with the last one expected to arrive in the Czech Republic in June 2024.
The Czechs are waiting for compensation for aid to Ukraine
The issue lies with the eight additional helicopters of this type, which the United States promised to provide free of charge (excluding modernization and transport costs) under the Excess Defense Article (EDA) program, as compensation for aid to Ukraine. Prague is a loyal ally of Kyiv and decided to send some of its older helicopters—Mi-24 and Mi-35—to the frontline as well.
Initial estimates assumed that six AH-1Z Viper and two UH-1Y Venom helicopters from the American Marine Corps could be refurbished, renewed, and handed over to the Czech army by the end of 2023. However, over time, the delivery date was moved to 2025 and 2026, but those plans are no longer applicable.
“We are now expecting to receive the helicopters around 2027–2028,” said Lubor Koudelka, head of the armaments section in the Czech Ministry of Defense.
Modern helicopters of the Czech army
This situation arises because the United States is "overwhelmed with orders," and local factories cannot prepare the helicopters for the Czech Republic any faster.
Helicopters manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron represent a significant advancement in the modernization of Czech aviation. They offer considerably better capabilities than the Soviet-era helicopters that Prague decided to send as support to Kyiv.
The AH-1Z Viper is an attack helicopter measuring nearly 18 metres in length. It is equipped with an M197 20 mm cannon and can also carry other weapons, including Hydra 70 rockets, which the Czechs have chosen to utilize.
The UH-1Y Venom, by contrast, is a multi-role helicopter with very similar dimensions to the AH-1Z Viper but able to achieve a slightly higher maximum speed (over 300 km/h). Its interior is adapted for a larger crew and slightly different weaponry—7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine guns. It can also carry additional weapons, but on two pylons instead of the six available on the AH-1Z Viper.
