LOM Prague implemented 600 projects on three continents last year
In the last year, six set projects for both the Army of the Czech Republic and foreign customers were implemented by the state enterprise of the Ministry of Defense LOM Prague. “Compared to 2020, this is a significant increase in orders and projects, which was also reflected in a positive economic result,” said director of LOM Praha Jiří Protiva.
Last year, for the Army of the Czech Republic, they carried out the repair and modernization of aircraft technology in the total amount of 850 million crowns. LOM Praha also cooperated with foreign countries – a total of 15 customers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East used its services.
Modernization and Modification Plant (ZMM)
For the 24th Air Transport Base, ZMM modernized Mi-17 helicopters to Eurocontrol standards.
Another modification was intended for the special air operations unit (SOATU II project). “This concerned, for example, the installation of the Breeze-Eastern deck crane, the cargo mooring system, but also the equipment. M-134DH machine guns, a system of other elements of special elements, special security of the crew and utility helicopters,” explains Protiva. The enterprise also upgraded Z-9 “Harbin” machines for the Pakistan Navy.
Center for Flight Training (CLV)
Last year, pilots flew a total of 5,180 flight hours in CLV, of which the army pilots flew 4,358 hours. According to Protiva, this is a great indicator of the training of Czech and foreign pilots at the Pardubice center.
In addition, CLV has been granted approval as an Approved Training Organization (ATO), which will ensure easier transfers of military pilot licenses to civilian ones in the future. CLV is also newly included in the upcoming NATO Flight Training Europe (NFTE) alliance program for training NATO pilots.
Aircraft race (ZL)
The aircraft plant focuses on supporting the life cycle of aeronautical technology. The main customer was again the Czech Air Force. ZL performed overhaul (in various stages) on five Mi-171Š helicopters and three GO on Mi-24/35 machines. The “one hundred and seventy one” of the Ghana Air Force also passed through the “general” in Kbely.
ZL also provided other special services, for example the installation of the auxiliary power unit (APU) Safír in Lithuania. For VHÚ, this enterprise renovated the SM-2 OK-RUV helicopter.
Propulsion Unit Plant (ZPJ)
The power plant has overhauled approximately thirty M-337 AK piston engines for the Algerian Air Force or a Romanian customer (Arpiem Aviation).
With a long-term contract for the Polish Army, the Air Force ZPJ and I implement the Czech program of VR-14/24 reducers. Other customers were, for example, Algeria and Ghana.
From the non-military portfolio, for example, dynamic balancing, surface treatment of materials or machining generated interest.