The Czech government added some extra sparkle to Aero's rollout ceremony of the new L159 Light Multi-role Combat Aircraft last Thursday.
After naming the new aircraft - Advanced Light Combat Aircraft (ALCA) - the government rubber-stamped a deal to buy 72 of them for the Czech air force. The total value of the programme is about $1billion.
The L159 is the latest member of the Aero L39/L139/L59 family of military jet aircraft. More than 2,900 of this family have been produced and are now operated by more than 25 air forces around the globe.
In contrast to the previous members of the family, which were mainly intended for pilot training, the primary roles of the new L159 are air-to-ground and air-to-air tactical missions.
The two-seat version could also be used for advanced or lead-in fighter training. Under Aero's 'two-in-one' concept, the single aircraft could be used for pilot training in peace time, but would be fully capable of fulfilling tactical missions in case of a conflict.
Aero will have two L159 flying prototypes.
The first one is in two-seat configuration and was rolled out last Thursday.
Its maiden flight is scheduled later this summer.
The second, the single-seater Czech air force configuration, will start its flight tests next year.
The air force is expecting its first deliveries in 1999.
Source: Flight Daily News
