Czech Republic wants to piggyback on German Leopard 2A8 tank buy捷克共和国希望搭上德国购买豹2A8坦克的顺风车。
A joint order with Berlin should yield better conditions, like prices and delivery schedule, according to the Czech defense minister.
WARSAW, Poland — Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová has announced her country is advancing negotiations with Germany to carry out a joint acquisition of Leopard 2A8 tanks, and is also nearing the completion of talks to buy C-390 Millenium transport aircraft and F-35 Lightning II fighter jets.
Teaming up with Berlin to purchase new tanks is expected to ensure “better conditions from the manufacturer, especially in terms of the price, delivery time,” the minister told local news site CZDefence.cz in an interview.
“The negotiations are ongoing at the moment, and we anticipate that there should be clarity over the course of the next year,” Černochová said.
In 2022, the Czech Republic donated its Soviet-designed T-72 tanks to Ukraine to support the country’s combat against Russia’s ongoing invasion. Under its so-called “ Ringtausch ” program, Berlin transferred a batch of Leopard 2A4s to Prague to allow the Czech military to maintain its combat capabilities.
Last July, the Czech Ministry said in a statement that Prague is considering to buy “up to 77 Leopard 2A8 tanks.”
Discussing her nation’s military acquisition priorities for next year, Černochová said the ministry plans to sign a deal to buy two C-390 Millenium aircraft from Embraer in 2024 after talks were kicked off earlier this year.
In addition, a contract for the purchase of 24 F-35s for the Czech Air Force is to be concluded “in a matter of weeks,” according to the minister.
Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.
波兰华沙——捷克国防部长雅娜·切尔诺霍娃宣布，捷克正在推进与德国的谈判，以共同采购豹2A8坦克，并且也即将完成购买C-390“千禧年”运输机和F-35“闪电II”战斗机的谈判。
这位部长在接受当地新闻网站 CZDefence.cz 采访时表示，与柏林合作购买新坦克有望确保“从制造商那里获得更好的条件，尤其是在价格和交货时间方面”。
“谈判目前仍在进行中，我们预计明年将会有明确的进展，”Černochová说道。
2022年，捷克共和国向乌克兰捐赠了苏联设计的T-72坦克，以支持该国对抗俄罗斯的持续入侵。根据所谓的“环形交换”（Ringtausch）计划，柏林向布拉格交付了一批豹2A4坦克，以使捷克军队能够维持其作战能力。
去年 7 月，捷克国防部在一份声明中表示，布拉格正在考虑购买“多达 77 辆豹 2A8 坦克”。
Černochová 在谈到该国明年的军事采购重点时表示，国防部计划在今年早些时候启动谈判后，于 2024 年与巴西航空工业公司签署协议，购买两架 C-390 千禧飞机。
此外，据部长称，捷克空军购买 24 架 F-35 战斗机的合同将在“几周内”签订。
Jaroslaw Adamowski 是《防务新闻》驻波兰记者。