ALAN DRON
Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody yesterday signed a first order with the Czech defence ministry for its L 159B advanced trainer.
Defence minister Jaroslav Tvrdik signed on the dotted line at the show for an initial two aircraft. More are expected to follow, although no numbers were being released yesterday.
The L 159B flew for the first time on 1 June after a 14-month development programme and has made around 25 test flights so far. It can be seen in the static park.
Although the single-seat L 159A Advanced Light Combat Aircraft is already in service with the Czech air force, Aero believes that the two-seater will have the stronger chance of finding success on the international market.
Aero Vodochody president Antonin Jakubse acknowledged strong Indian interest in the two-seater and said enquiries on the L 159B had also come from air arms in South America, the Middle East, Far East and Europe.
The Indian air force has long needed an advanced trainer to replace its elderly TS-11 Iskras and selected the BAE Systems Hawk 100 for the role in 2000, but a combination of arguments over price and Indian domestic political scandals has combined to bog down negotiations.
Aero, with strong US support (Boeing is a 35% shareholder and Honeywell/ITEC's F124 engine powers the L 159) is pushing strongly to strike a deal, which is expected to be for at least 66 aircraft.
Most countries are interested in the trainer variant, says Jakubse, but "we are confident that customers operating the B will love the aircraft and that we will then sell As to them as light attack aircraft".
At home, meanwhile, Aero is now more than halfway through deliveries of 72 L 159As for the Czech air force, despite the country's defence ministry having decided to dispose of half the fleet.
It has so far delivered 42 aircraft, which are operational at two air bases; the remainder will be delivered by mid-2003, says the company.
Aero's first prototype L 159 is flying in the daily display.
Source: Flight Daily News
