NATO Days in Ostrava are getting closer and this festival of lovers of the warfare, military technology and news in the fields of security and defence industry will already open its doors next weekend. The Army of the Czech Republic will show dozens of pieces of military equipment in static and dynamic demonstrations. According to the official website of the event a pair of helicopters aspiring for a new reinforcement of the Czech Air Force - UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper - will be present.

Picture: Helicopters UH-AY Venom and AH-1Z Viper will also appear at the event of NATO Days 2019 | Bell

NATO Days in Ostrava & The Czech Air Force Days, as one of the few events in Europe, offer the concept of a special partner state for a unique presentation of a selected country, which can introduce its armed forces, security forces, as well as products of companies that are active in the defence and security industry. It also results in a greater participation of special guests from the country at the event – politicians, chief representatives of the units and military components involved, security experts and representatives of commercial companies. The concept of a special partner state also brings a nice diversification and quite extensive technology demonstration of these states, Romania this year. We will find modern technology (e.g. medium twin-engine transport aircraft Alenia C-27J Spartan) here, as well as the one, which the Army of the Czech Republic already discarded many years ago, such as MIG-21. 

Picture: Medium twin-engine transport aircraft Alenia C-27J Spartan in the service of the Romanian Air Force | Wikimedia Commons

The Czech Air Force will introduce the technology of the 21st Tactical Air Force Base, 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base, and 24th Transport Aviation Base, mainly JAS-39 Gripen, L-159 ALCA, Mi-24/35, Mi-171S, W-3A Sokol, Jak-40, C-295 CASA and L-410 Turbolet.

Picture: Multipurpose combat aircraft JAS-39 Gripen in the service of the Czech Air Force | army.cz  

The Ground Forces of the Army of the Czech Republic across the units will mostly show familiar equipment, such as the main battle tank T-72 M4CZ, tracked armoured vehicle BVP-2 (including recovery option) or off-road vehicles UAZ-469.  This military equipment has been used in our army for many years and should be replaced as soon as possible.  Furthermore, the wheeled armoured carrier Pandur II, LOV Iveco, LOV Dingo and Dingo II, Land Rover in various versions, Tatra T810 PRAM, Tatra T810 PVO and many other platforms based on Tatra-810 or 815, demining system Bozena B-5, tracked amphibious carrier PTS-10, series of connectors, unmanned aerial vehicles Raven and ScanEagle, radar equipment Vera S/M, mortars 81 and 120 mm, and a full range of different containers, including decontamination, mortuary and operating rooms will be seen there. 

Picture: Ground Forces of the Army of the Czech Republic across units will mostly show familiar equipment | army.cz

Apart from the equipment of the Army of the Czech Republic, the Police of the Czech Republic, the Integrated Rescue System and many other countries, including manufacturers and designers, such as Tatra Defense, Czechoslovak Group, CZUB etc., the presence of the helicopters UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper is also announced and the public can enjoy them at adjacent stands. No flight efforts have been notified so far. On the other hand, the UH-60 Black Hawk can be expected from Slovakia, so it will be a demonstration of helicopters, which have something to say in the early acquisitions of the Ministry of Defence, for the spectators. The Black Hawk has not been currently in the viewfinder, but things might change…