Aero Vodochody celebrates 10 years of L-159 service »

By Jean-Michel Guhl
19 December 2010

Odolena Voda, 6 December 2010 — The Czech aerospace company Aero Vodochody and the Czech Armed Forces celebrated this December the 10th anniversary of L-159 operational service. On this occassion, the 21th Air Force Base at Čáslav hosted a dedicated Technical Conference on December 2, 2010, to mark the fact that ten years ago, in December 2000, the first two L-159s arrived at Čáslav Air Force Base then stepping down from the MiG-21.

The Conference summarized both past and current L-159 operational experience and future developments. Czech Joint Defence Forces commander, Maj. Gen. Hynek Blaško highly praised importance of the L-159 combat and training system for the Czech Armed Forces and stressed the positive role the 21th AFB “Zvolenská” — currently the sole fighter plane base — has played during the L-159 service introduction and operation. Czech Air Force commander, Brig.Gen. Jiří Verner, on hi s part, described the important tasks the L-159 performs in the Czech Air Force today.

Brig. Gen. Verner recalled that the L-159 introduction provided the Czech Air Force for the first time with systems and advanced technologies typical of advanced western combat aircraft. Then he continued with current L-159 operation. The L-159s, which serve with the 212th Tactical Fighter Squadron, fulfill a variety of combat missions and also play a key role in training of pilots for the supersonic JAS-39 Gripen in service with the neighbour 211th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Brig. Gen. Verner also mentioned that the thorough training of Czech Air Force Gripen pilots on the L-159 was among several key factors enabling victory of Czech Gripens during the 2010 venue of the NATO Tiger Meet, a joint exercise of NATO units having a Tiger as unit emblem. True, the L-159 introduction in the post-Warsaw Pact Czech Air Force facilitated greatly its transitions to Western operational standards. Nowadays, Czech L-159s regularly participate in various NATO exercises. They also provide protection of key military-political events such as Prague NATO Summit in 2002 or Prague meeting of presidents Obama and Medvedyev in April 2010. Ladislav Šimek, Aero Vodochody president and CEO added in conclusion: "I strongly believe that our L-159 system is the best in its category. We provide our customers with cost-effective and highly reliable system and in addition offer various forms of participation to local industry".

Although only in service today with the Czech Air Force in some two dozen copies (out of 72 produced), the L-159 — which is an armed trainer developed from the L-59 Super Albatros, itself derived from the legacy L-39 Albatros — powered by a single US-made Honeywell ITEC F124-GA-100 turbofan, represents a natural follow-on to those air arms which still or earlier flew the former generations of Aero jet training aircraft — L-29 Delfín, L-39 Albatros and L-59 Super Albatros — whose combined production figures totalled an outstanding 6,700 units. These production numbers actually qualify Aero as the world´s biggest jet training aircraft manufacturer of modern times. If today on the lesser side, Aero Vodochody current capabilities remain based on more than 90 years of experience, continuous innovations and collaboration with leading aerospace manufacturers, and especially during the past decade: Alenia Aeronautica, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, SAAB, SONACA and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.

The present "L-159 Combat and Training System" includes single (L-159A) and two-seat (L-159B) versions of the L-159 aircraft, integrated logistic support, ground based training system and mission planning and debriefing aids. Aero regularly performs various upgrade programmes on the Czech Air Force aircraft and in addition is now offering reworked L-159 aircraft to international customers such as Bolivia, Bangla Desh, Iraq, Indonesia and Hungary. Aero Vodochody is now also proposing newly produced L-159B aircraft to the Polish Air Force to fullfill its LIFT (lead-in fighter trainer) requirement to replace the veteran TS-11 Iskra. Among the strong points of Aero's offer, which was submitted to the Polish MoD on November 3, 2010, can be stressed a cost-efective training solution, a wide participation of the Polish industry and a wide scale collaboration between two neighbouring countries and their aviation forces.

Photo Credit: © Aero Vodochody

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