Czech manufacturer shifts focus from L-159 to Skyfox jets in talks with Ukraine

Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero cannot produce new L-159 combat aircraft sought by Ukraine because it is unable to source certain key components, but the company says it can offer an alternative platform instead, Aero President Viktor Sotona said on January 22.

According to Sotona, Aero is proposing the L-39 Skyfox to Ukraine. He described the aircraft as versatile, less expensive to operate, and suitable for counter-drone missions.

Czech President Petr Pavel, who visited Ukraine last week, told journalists on January 19 that a potential transfer of four L-159 aircraft to Ukraine would not weaken the Czech Republic’s defence capabilities. However, Defence Minister Jaromír Zuna said on Wednesday that selling the jets would not be advantageous from the Czech point of view.

Sotona noted that Ukraine has long been aware of the Skyfox platform, but said the manufacturer only unveiled a light attack version of the aircraft at the end of last year during an exhibition in Dubai. Prior to that, Aero had showcased the model solely in training configurations. “We consider it to be a very effective drone hunter,” Sotona said.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš recently stated that discussions about selling L-159 aircraft to Ukraine are pointless because the jets are required by the Czech armed forces.

The Aero L-159 ALCA (Advanced Light Combat Aircraft) has been produced by Aero Vodochody in the Czech Republic since 1997. The aircraft is an evolution of the widely used Soviet-era L-39 and L-59 Albatros trainer jets, which have been manufactured since the late 1960s and exported by Czechoslovakia to dozens of countries. These exports went mainly to Warsaw Pact members, including the USSR, as well as to states friendly to the Soviet Union, where the aircraft was primarily used to train pilots for larger jet fighters.

In total, Aero Vodochody has built more than 70 L-159 aircraft. The Czech military currently operates 24 of them. In 2012, the price of a single L-159 was estimated at $10–12 million, excluding inflation, while even a 30- to 35-year-old F-16 fighter jet can cost at least $30–35 million.