The Czech Republic is preparing to supply Ukraine with combat aircraft capable of intercepting incoming drones, as confirmed by Czech President Petr Pavel in Kyiv on January 16, 2026, speaking after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Pavel did not name the aircraft type but said that Prague could provide “several medium combat planes” in a “relatively short time,” describing them as effective against drones.
According to Pavel, Prague is also considering providing early-warning systems, including passive radar technology, as Ukraine expands its layered defenses against long-range drone attacks.
L-159 ALCA, the most likely candidate
Reuters linked Pavel’s remarks to the Czech-made subsonic Aero L-159, which Pavel publicly floated as a potential transfer option in 2023.
The Czech military operates 24 L-159s alongside 14 Saab JAS 39 Gripens, which Prague flies under a lease arrangement, and has ordered 24 F-35s for delivery after 2030.
Within the L-159 fleet, the Czech Air Force fields a mix of single-seat L-159A combat aircraft and two-seat L-159T trainers, with eight of the latter used for advanced training.
Aero has long pitched the L-159 as a low-cost light combat aircraft, capable of covering missions ranging from supporting ground forces to limited air defense against slow-moving targets, aligning with Pavel’s ‘drone-fighting’ framing.
In Czech service, the jet can be armed with short-range infrared air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder and with gun pods, giving it both missile and cannon options for engaging slow, low-flying drones.
Recent revival of Czech aviation industry
Aero Vodochody’s newer L-39NG, now marketed as the L-39 Skyfox, is another subsonic Czech jet that can be configured for training and light combat roles. Aero restarted serial production with the first production aircraft’s maiden flight in April 2023.
However, the Czech Skyfox fleet is currently tied to the LOM Praha flight training center rather than an in-service light-combat unit. Aero said it completed deliveries of four Skyfox aircraft to LOM Praha in August 2025 under a 2022 contract and later announced that it would deliver four additional aircraft under an exercised option.
Both the L-159 and the L-39NG sit on the same Aero family tree rooted in the Cold War-era L-39 Albatros.
