Czech Republic Receives Its First UH-1Y Venom Utility Helicopter
The Czech Republic Air Force (Vzduné sly) received the first UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter with serial number “0490” and a third AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter with serial number “0488” from the American company Bell Textron. The two new helicopters were delivered to the 22nd helicopter air force base in Náměšt nad Oslavou by a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the 911th Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force (USAF).
The helicopters were delivered under an intergovernmental agreement signed in 2019 between then-Czech Republic Minister of Defense Lubomír Metnar and his counterpart, Mark Esper, worth 14.6 billion Czech Koruna ($645 million at the time). The agreement in question will provide the Czech Air Force with 12 new H1 helicopters, including four AH-1Z Viper and eight UH-1Y Venom helicopters, as well as a simulator package, weapon systems, and logistics support. In this context, the Czech Republic received the first two Viper helicopters with serial numbers “0486” and “0487” three weeks ago. The country expects to receive two more helicopters, one UH-1Y and one AH-1Z, by mid-September. The remaining helicopters are expected to be delivered to the Czech Air Force by the end of 2024.
In addition to this contract, the US government announced in August 2022 its decision to transfer 6 AH-Z1 and 2 UH-1Y helicopters to the Czech Republic without demanding a sales fee under the “Excess Defense Articles” program. The main reason for this decision was to fill the void left by a series of Soviet-made Mi-24 combat helicopters supplied by the Czech Republic to Ukraine.
Following the completion of these deliveries, the Czech Republic Air Force will have a total of 20 US-made attack and utility helicopters in its inventory, consisting of 10 AH-Z1 and 10 UH-1Y helicopters. These helicopters, which will be stationed at the 22nd Helicopter Air Force Base, will gradually replace the Czech Air Force’s old Mi-24V/35 attack helicopters and Mi-171Sh utility helicopters, which it purchased second-hand from Russia and Poland. As a result, the Czech Republic’s reliance on Russian technology will diminish, and its air force will be compatible with NATO standards. Furthermore, the gradual decommissioning of former Soviet helicopters opens the door for the Czech Republic to potentially provide a new batch of helicopter support to Ukraine in the coming days.