The first meeting between representatives of the Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin and the management of LOM Prague | CZDEFENCE
Representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the state-owned enterprise LOM Prague held the first official negotiations with Lockheed Martin in Prague regarding the potential of industrial cooperation in the management of F-35 aircraft. The negotiations concern the training of pilots and ground personnel, but also the provision of maintenance and repairs during the life cycle of the aircraft and training simulators.
Photo: F-35 Lightning II supersonic fighter | Lockheed Martin
LOM Prague is of key importance for the Ministry of Defense in strategic armament projects. “For LOM PRAHA, the project of acquisition and implementation of the F-35 aircraft into the armament of the Army of the Czech Republic is another professional activity in the implementation of our unique capabilities both in the field of repair and servicing of potential aircraft equipment and training, as well as in research and development of simulation simulations. Together with the already announced H-1 helicopter platform, the F-35 project is the portfolio of the future for us, and we are ready to adequately transform the capabilities of the state-owned enterprise,” says director of LOM PRAHA sp Jiří Protiva.
For the rest of this week, the Lockheed Martin team was engaged in interaction with Czech industry to identify suitable industrial cooperation projects. Since last year, Lockheed Martin has been continuously mapping the capabilities of the Czech defense industry. Following the successful course of Industry Day on October 24, 2022 in Prague, these activities will continue. About 60 companies from the space, aviation and defense industries used the Industrial Day. Further negotiations with Lockheed Martin in the field of industrial cooperation are being created in early 2023.
In accordance with its program statement, the government supports the modernization of the armed forces of the Czech Republic. The need to accelerate this process is exacerbated by Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Based on the analysis carried out by the Army of the Czech Republic and the recommendations contained in the government, in July 2022 it decided to start negotiations with the US government on the possibility of controlling 24 fifth-generation aircraft. These represent a comprehensive defense system and can withstand security threats, both current and future, especially thanks to the ability to deceive the enemy’s observation systems, resistance to electronic warfare, or high-precision radars that can detect targets at long distances. By October 1, 2023 at the latest, the Ministry of Defense will inform the government about the agreed parameters for the control and operation of supersonic aircraft. Based on this, the government will subsequently decide whether the Czech Republic will purchase them.
Source: Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic