On June 3, 2025, the Czech Ministry of Defence announced its acceptance of a renewed lease offer from Sweden for the continued operation of 12 Saab JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets through 2035. The contract proposal was endorsed by the Defense Minister’s Collegium and will be submitted to the government for information. The newly negotiated terms represent an approximate 25 percent cost reduction compared to the 2024 Swedish proposal. This extension is intended to maintain the Czech Air Force’s air defense capabilities during the period in which fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II jets, ordered from the United States in 2024, will be gradually introduced into service between 2031 and 2035.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the extension was made necessary by the timeline for F-35 induction and was facilitated by intensive negotiations that resulted in significantly more favorable conditions. The agreement includes the lease of 12 JAS-39 Gripen aircraft, comprising 10 single-seat (C variant) and 2 two-seat (D variant) aircraft, as well as associated services such as maintenance and pilot training. The total contract value is 6.012 billion Swedish kronor, equivalent to 16.695 billion Czech koruna (€549.900.866,52) including VAT at current exchange rates. The current lease, which includes 14 aircraft, is scheduled to expire in 2027. The reduction in aircraft quantity by two units is expected to yield considerable financial savings. Generalmajor Petr Čepelka, Commander of the Czech Air Force, confirmed that the reduced fleet size will still meet national airspace protection requirements and will allow for the uninterrupted training of pilots who will transition to the F-35. NATO has been notified of the reduced aircraft number, and this adjustment will be accounted for in the alliance’s planning for joint airspace defense.
The contract also includes a modernization package for the leased Gripens, which are approaching the end of their operational life cycle. The cost of the modernization is 1.454 billion Swedish kronor, or 4.037 billion Czech koruna (€133.031.098,26) including VAT. This upgrade is required in response to the evolving operational environment and is considered necessary for the continued operation of the aircraft. Modernization of the Czech Gripens has been ongoing since 2015 and is now included as an integral part of the lease contract, avoiding the need for future standalone approval. The increased cost of operation is attributed to the aging of the aircraft, which will be in service for over three decades by 2035, and to higher global market prices for labor and materials in the military aviation sector. The offer was negotiated under terms equal to those applied to the Swedish Air Force and other Gripen users.
The JAS-39C is equipped with a PS-05/A pulse-Doppler X-band radar capable of multi-target tracking and guiding multiple beyond-visual-range missiles simultaneously. The Swedish fighter supports up to 5,300 kilograms of external stores on eight hardpoints, including IRIS-T and AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles, AIM-120 AMRAAM and Meteor beyond-visual-range missiles, AGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles, Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles, laser-guided bombs, and anti-ship missiles such as the RBS-15F. It features an integrated 27 mm Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon with 120 rounds in the single-seat version, while the two-seat JAS-39D omits the cannon and reduces internal fuel capacity to accommodate the second crew member. Both variants are designed for high sortie rates, short-field operations including from 500-meter runways, and rapid turnaround times supported by minimal ground crew and modular system design. The two-seat variant is primarily used for training, operational conversion, and command-and-control or electronic warfare roles, with both versions sharing full combat capability.
The Czech Republic has operated leased Gripens since 2005, when they replaced the Soviet-designed MiG-21 fighters as part of a broader shift following NATO accession in 1999. The original lease agreement covered 14 ex-Swedish Air Force aircraft, including 12 JAS-39C and 2 JAS-39D variants, and was signed in 2004 following the collapse of an earlier purchase plan due to political and financial obstacles. The agreement included training for Czech pilots and technicians and initially covered a ten-year period until 2015. It was later extended through 2027 with an option until 2029. In 2015, the Gripens were upgraded to the MS20 configuration. The Gripens are currently operated by the 211th Tactical Squadron at Čáslav Air Base. The squadron has participated in national air policing and NATO missions in the Baltic region and Iceland.
Regular training with international partners, including the German Luftwaffe, and participation in multinational exercises such as Lion Effort, Sky Avenger, and Central Hawk, continue. The unit has practiced air combat tactics against various NATO aircraft, including the Typhoon and Rafale. Biweekly training flights are conducted against Luftwaffe Typhoons. Czech pilots have also taken part in live-fire exercises in Sweden and regularly engage with Gripen pilots from other nations. The unit’s competence was formally acknowledged through admission to the NATO Tiger Association. Previous members of the squadron, such as former display pilot Ivo Kardoš and former military pilot Martin Šonka, have received international recognition in air shows and aerobatics.
The Gripen lease extension corresponds with the acquisition of 24 F-35A aircraft from the United States, approved by the Czech government on September 27, 2023. The contract was signed on January 29, 2024. The delivery plan foresees that the first six F-35s will be handed over to the Czech Armed Forces in 2029 for pilot and technician training in the United States. Aircraft deliveries to the Czech Republic are scheduled to begin in late 2031, with four aircraft arriving per year until 2035. Full operational capability is expected to be achieved by that year, coinciding with the end of the Gripen lease. According to the Ministry of Defence, the transition from Gripen to F-35 is necessary because the Czech Air Force cannot fulfill its future operational requirements with fourth-generation aircraft. The Ministry emphasized that, while the Gripen has performed satisfactorily, its technical limits and aging condition preclude continued service beyond 2035.
© 2025, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
