On August 17, the first Bell UH-1Y Venom helicopter was delivered to the Czech Republic. The helicopter was transported from the United States by the U.S. Air Force C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft.
In December 2019, Prague signed a contract for 12 Bell helicopters: eight UH-1Y Venom and four AH-1Z Viper. The deal was valued at USD 629 million, making it the largest defence procurement contract ever signed with the United States in the history of the Czech Republic. The contract also covers a package of simulators, weapon systems, and logistics support. The contract is expected to be concluded by 2024.
Additionally, the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic will receive an additional eight helicopters (two UH-1Y Venom and six AH-1Z Viper) from the United States under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programme. This is compensation for military equipment that Prague transferred to Ukraine after February 24, 2022.
In July of this year, American company Bell secured a contract with the Czech Republic to support the fleet of U.S.-made helicopters until July 2025. This agreement is valued at USD 22.5 million.
The European Defence Agency project aims to develop the technology needed for one tanker to coordinate refuelling with several unmanned aircraft at once.
Ukraine has received applications from 389 foreign defence manufacturers seeking access to TrophyLab, its database of captured Russian weapons and technical analysis.
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre have expanded their partnership to address the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s operational needs.
France and the Netherlands have held the first meeting of a bilateral Nuclear Steering Group to discuss strengthening European nuclear and conventional deterrence.
A U.S. Army battery assigned to Multi-Domain Command Europe fired its first Tomahawk Land Attack Missile from a newly fielded Typhon system on September 28.
Northrop Grumman chief executive Kathy Warden said air defenses need a broader mix of affordable weapons to counter inexpensive drones and increasingly sophisticated aerial threats.
