>PRAGUE, Aug 19 (Reuters) – The United States will give the Czech Republic eight Bell military helicopters for free, the U.S. embassy in Prague said, in what the Czech defence minister said was recognition of the NATO country’s aid to Ukraine.
>
>The Czechs are looking at speeding up the modernisation of their army away from Soviet-era equipment including their helicopter fleet, and have donated excess hardware to Ukraine.
>
>”It is being shown that our clear and unwavering stance since the start of Russian invasion to Ukraine is paying off,” Friday’s daily Hospodarske Noviny quoted Defence Minister Jana Cernochova as saying.
>
>”Not only we gained respect of our allies due to our efforts in helping Ukraine, but we also received their support in modernising our army.”
>
>The helicopters come on top of 12 previously ordered and will be for free, except for costs of transfer and upgrades, the U.S. embassy said on Twitter late on Thursday.
>
>”We confirm with pleasure the transfer of 6 AH-1Z a 2 UH-1Y under the Excess Defense Articles programme,” the embassy said.
>
>An AH-1Z Viper helicopter with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron(VMM) 163(Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepares to land onto the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) during its transit through Strait
>
>An AH-1Z Viper helicopter with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron(VMM) 163(Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepares to land onto the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) during its transit through Strait of Hormuz in Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, July 18, 2019. Dalton Swanbeck/U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS
>
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>PRAGUE, Aug 19 (Reuters) – The United States will give the Czech Republic eight Bell military helicopters for free, the U.S. embassy in Prague said, in what the Czech defence minister said was recognition of the NATO country’s aid to Ukraine.
>
>The Czechs are looking at speeding up the modernisation of their army away from Soviet-era equipment including their helicopter fleet, and have donated excess hardware to Ukraine.
>
>”It is being shown that our clear and unwavering stance since the start of Russian invasion to Ukraine is paying off,” Friday’s daily Hospodarske Noviny quoted Defence Minister Jana Cernochova as saying.
>
>”Not only we gained respect of our allies due to our efforts in helping Ukraine, but we also received their support in modernising our army.”
>
>The helicopters come on top of 12 previously ordered and will be for free, except for costs of transfer and upgrades, the U.S. embassy said on Twitter late on Thursday.
>
>”We confirm with pleasure the transfer of 6 AH-1Z a 2 UH-1Y under the Excess Defense Articles programme,” the embassy said.
>
>The transfer means the Czech Republic will have 10 AH-1Z Viper attack and 10 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The previously ordered aircraft are due to arrive in 2023.
And what are the EU and europeans doing?
US giving out free choppers, meanwhile the first batch of fighters we bought years ago still haven’t even been built and the delivery date gets bumped up with 2 years every 2 weeks. No, I’m not salty at all, why do you ask?
2 comments
>PRAGUE, Aug 19 (Reuters) – The United States will give the Czech Republic eight Bell military helicopters for free, the U.S. embassy in Prague said, in what the Czech defence minister said was recognition of the NATO country’s aid to Ukraine.
>
>The Czechs are looking at speeding up the modernisation of their army away from Soviet-era equipment including their helicopter fleet, and have donated excess hardware to Ukraine.
>
>”It is being shown that our clear and unwavering stance since the start of Russian invasion to Ukraine is paying off,” Friday’s daily Hospodarske Noviny quoted Defence Minister Jana Cernochova as saying.
>
>”Not only we gained respect of our allies due to our efforts in helping Ukraine, but we also received their support in modernising our army.”
>
>The helicopters come on top of 12 previously ordered and will be for free, except for costs of transfer and upgrades, the U.S. embassy said on Twitter late on Thursday.
>
>”We confirm with pleasure the transfer of 6 AH-1Z a 2 UH-1Y under the Excess Defense Articles programme,” the embassy said.
>
>An AH-1Z Viper helicopter with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron(VMM) 163(Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepares to land onto the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) during its transit through Strait
>
>An AH-1Z Viper helicopter with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron(VMM) 163(Reinforced), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepares to land onto the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) during its transit through Strait of Hormuz in Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, July 18, 2019. Dalton Swanbeck/U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS
>
>Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
>
>PRAGUE, Aug 19 (Reuters) – The United States will give the Czech Republic eight Bell military helicopters for free, the U.S. embassy in Prague said, in what the Czech defence minister said was recognition of the NATO country’s aid to Ukraine.
>
>The Czechs are looking at speeding up the modernisation of their army away from Soviet-era equipment including their helicopter fleet, and have donated excess hardware to Ukraine.
>
>”It is being shown that our clear and unwavering stance since the start of Russian invasion to Ukraine is paying off,” Friday’s daily Hospodarske Noviny quoted Defence Minister Jana Cernochova as saying.
>
>”Not only we gained respect of our allies due to our efforts in helping Ukraine, but we also received their support in modernising our army.”
>
>The helicopters come on top of 12 previously ordered and will be for free, except for costs of transfer and upgrades, the U.S. embassy said on Twitter late on Thursday.
>
>”We confirm with pleasure the transfer of 6 AH-1Z a 2 UH-1Y under the Excess Defense Articles programme,” the embassy said.
>
>The transfer means the Czech Republic will have 10 AH-1Z Viper attack and 10 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The previously ordered aircraft are due to arrive in 2023.
And what are the EU and europeans doing?
US giving out free choppers, meanwhile the first batch of fighters we bought years ago still haven’t even been built and the delivery date gets bumped up with 2 years every 2 weeks. No, I’m not salty at all, why do you ask?