The recent ceremony marking the addition of two new L-39 Skyfox aircraft to the CLV training fleet of the state enterprise LOM PRAHA was attended by Jiří Protiva, Director of LOM PRAHA, Viktor Sotona, President of AERO Vodochody, Jaroslav Špaček, Director of the Flight Training Centre, and Tomáš Merta and Ervín Ehm, the first two trained L-39 Skyfox instructor pilots, who flew the new aircraft to Pardubice Airport.

Video: CLV enters service with the first two L-39 Skyfox aircraft / CZ DEFENCE

The Aero L-39 Skyfox is equipped with the latest technologies, including composite materials and integrated fuel tanks, which contribute to lower operating costs and superior range. Its modern avionics ensure maximum safety even in adverse weather conditions. The Skyfox features a full glass cockpit with two large color displays, a transparent display, and HOTAS (Hands-On Throttle and Stick) controls. The multifunctional displays, including a true-to-life 3D terrain display, provide intuitive control and enhanced comfort during long flights. A key advantage of the L-39 Skyfox is its integration with a virtual training system, allowing complex combat scenarios to be simulated directly in the cockpit.

The LOM PRAHA Air Training Centre will operate a total of four new L-39 Skyfox subsonic aircraft under a contract between AERO Vodochody and LOM PRAHA. The agreement, signed in November 2022, includes an option for four additional aircraft. The contract represents a significant milestone for Vodochody, while LOM PRAHA benefits from the ability to continue training Czech Armed Forces tactical pilots on the same L-39 platform but with modernized capabilities. Production of the four L-39 Skyfox aircraft for the Air Training Centre began in May last year. The first two aircraft are expected to be delivered to Pardubice by the end of this year, with the remaining two joining in early summer 2025. Full training on these aircraft is set to commence thereafter.

The introduction of the new type of aircraft into CLV flight training will enable the gradual grounding of the previous L-39C types, which are gradually reaching the end of their life cycle. The estimated value of the contract will be CZK 2.1 billion, of which CZK 1.3 billion is the cost of the new aircraft itself. The remainder of the price will include related products and services, primarily after-warranty support, the cost of which is guaranteed until 2028.

The capabilities of the new aircraft were appreciated by the L-39 Skyfox pilot-instructor Ervín Ehm, who landed at the airport with one of the first students who will undergo training at CLV. "The transition from the L-39C is a huge change. It's a glass cockpit, which means two huge displays," Ehm described the main advantage of the new aircraft while praising the virtual radar system.

"Between the two Skyfoxes we can do aerial combat and we can simulate radar, we can do ambushes, missile launches, and at the same time the system only allows for pilot training on guidance in one aircraft. This means that I, as an instructor, can send simulated targets," Ervin Ehm said. The pilot-instructor also appreciated that the L-39 Skyfox has one-third less fuel consumption compared to the L-39C Albatros and therefore lasts longer in the air.

The director of CLV Jaroslav Špaček confirmed to our editorial office the importance of the overall modernization of the machines serving in the Pardubice training centre. "The Skyfoxes have brought a completely new quality to the CLV and I firmly believe that the army will be satisfied with the level of training," said the CLV director and added that from September this year, new Zlín training aircraft will also arrive in Pardubice, which will be equipped, like the new Skyfoxes, with glass cockpits.

The centre also has new Enstrom En-480 helicopters with glass cockpit, which can better prepare future pilots for the modern technology that is now coming to the army in the form of H-1 helicopters. CLV in Pardubice is thus very well equipped for modern training of future pilots of new helicopters and F-35 aircraft. "It depends on what requirements the army will have, how many students will be sent here for tactical aircraft. I firmly believe that CLV will be ready, for now, with four Skyfoxes. However, we have signed an option for four more aircraft," added Jaroslav Špaček.

President of Aero Vodochody, Viktor Sotona, confirmed the early handover of another pair of L-39 Skyfox aircraft. "The other two are practically nearing completion. I think one of them is getting ready to fly and the other one will be completed soon. Then we have an option for four more units, so in total we would like to deliver eight aircraft," Sotona plans. He also recalled that the development of the L-39 Skyfox aircraft alone cost CZK 3 billion and revealed that the company's plans so far include the optimal production and sale of 100 Skyfoxes. According to the president of AERO Vodochody, the delivery of the new aircraft to CLV and the previous conclusion of the contract with Vietnam arouse further interest in these machines.

Sotona also recalled that 20 years have passed since the introduction of the previous L-159 aircraft type. "I hope that the period will be less than 20 years. But hand on heart, the Skyfox has been in development for 10 years. So if we are talking about a shorter period, we should start now," Sotona plans. Aero has already ramped up to full-scale production with the new Skyfox machines, producing 12 machines a year. Within a year, Aero Vodochody's CEO said the company should conclude two to three new contracts for the delivery of L-39 Skyfox aircraft. Viktor Sotona did not specify which countries would be involved. In 2026, production should rise to 18 aircraft per year.

The new Skyfoxes are also perceived as a milestone in CLV by the director of LOM PRAHA s.p. Jiří Protiva. "We have started to renew our fleet and the first step is the replacement of L-39C with Skyfoxes. However, a few weeks ago we also signed a contract for the replacement of Zlín aircraft. In the future, we will use the 242 and 143 types instead of the Zlín 142," Protiva described the current situation in CLV. The modern training machines will meet the requirements of the Czech Armed Forces for the number of new pilots. "The number of trainings, or rather requirements, are increasing. At the moment, we are focusing on helicopter pilots in particular, in view of the introduction of the H-1 system platform. But, of course, we are already getting requirements for new tactical pilots. You have to have trained personnel for the F-35. And that's actually where we start today, because we're starting to train our own instructors so that we have enough for the fleet that we're expecting. In the middle of this year, we will have new pilots coming to us, who will start training on Skyfoxes for future F-35 piloting," said the director of LOM PRAHA.

When the training capacity for the ACR is met, the possibility of offering training to foreign customers also opens up for CLV. "Once we announce that we will implement and launch the two new platforms in training, then we can talk about offering training abroad," Jiří Protiva revealed.

The overall cooperation between AERO Vodochody and LOM PRAHA is working well, which can be proven by the servicing of new aircraft. "We have agreed with AERO Vodochody as a supplier that basic maintenance will remain here in CLV Pardubice. It is the same system as for the L-39C. We will be serviced by AERO Vodochody. Of course, we are talking about how to make this cooperation more efficient in the future, when some other work could be transferred from Aero to us and vice versa, that we might have other requirements for Aero, what to service in the future. It is expected that the aircraft may have some upgrades," Protiva's CEO plans. Among the significant investments is also a certified flight simulator for the L-39 Skyfox aircraft (the so-called Full Mission Simulator) from the subsidiary LOM PRAHA VR Group, which will be part of a comprehensive training platform that will significantly accelerate and streamline pilot training. Pilot training at the Flight Training Centre will start in April this year.

 

Further communication of the state enterprise LOM PRAHA with Lockheed Martin is also important. "It is no secret that we are the first Czech company to sign an industrial agreement with Lockheed Martin in the F-35 programme. And right now the industrial agreement is already being fulfilled. The LOM PRAHA and Lockheed Martin teams have even met here in Pardubice and have started to assess the training curriculum of our training centre. The result should be how to modify them so that Skyfox could be a direct precursor for piloting the F-35," Jiří Protiva told our editorial team, who also pointed out other projects that the state enterprise will have this year. "We have currently started participation in the H-1 programme, but the priority now is Embraer and, of course, the F-35. This is a programme in which we don't want to just stay with training, but we want to talk to Lockheed about other ways to cooperate. And of course LOM PRAHA is a company that is flexible and responsive to the requirements around us. This means that some new portfolios may emerge, such as another airport for the last time. So we will see what life brings," concludes Jiří Protiva, Director of the state enterprise LOM PRAHA.