‘Not available’: Czech government blocks sale of L-159 drone hunter aircraft to Ukraine
January 20, 2026
The Czech Republic’s ruling coalition has moved to block the transfer of its Aero L-159 light combat aircraft to Ukraine, overriding comments by President Petr Pavel and insisting the jets remain essential to national defence.
The decision undercuts earlier signals that Prague was preparing to release a small number of the Soviet-era aircraft for Ukraine’s air defence effort, highlighting growing divisions within the Czech government over further military support for Kyiv.
Czech L-159 aircraft will not be supplied to Ukraine
On the 17th January, Reuters quoted Czech President Petr Pavel as saying that the Czech Republic would provide “combat planes shortly that can shoot down incoming drones.”
The aircraft in question are Aero L-159 ALCA (Advanced Light Combat Aircraft) jets, with the proposed transfer believed to involve four aircraft drawn from the Czech Republic’s remaining fleet of 24. According to reports, the aircraft would have been sold to Ukraine rather than donated.
However, yesterday, Czech TV reported Prime Minister Andrej Babis stated this will not happen, saying “the aircraft still have a service life of about 15 years and that the army needs them.”
He added, “We know that Ukraine wants and needs them, but the aircraft are simply not available, and it is not true that they are sitting in a hangar somewhere and not being used.”
🇨🇿#Czechia: The Čáslav airbase, home to the 21st Tactical Air Force Base, will undergo extensive modernization.
— 𝕻𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖊 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖙𝖊𝖕𝖍 (@praisethesteph) January 19, 2026
The modernization, which is scheduled to begin this spring, will include airport infrastructure improvements such as the construction of a new runway and taxiways. The… pic.twitter.com/dyZmbbyi6f
The development reflects the divide in the Czech government between those, like Pavel, who are vocal Ukraine supporters, and others like the governing parties that have turned cold on providing military equipment to Ukraine. Pavel called the ruling coalition’s response “selfish.”
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Why Ukraine needs drone hunter aircraft
The development also reflects the rise of drone hunter aircraft in the war in Ukraine. High-end fast jets are overkill and sometimes ill-suited for the task of intercepting masses of slow-moving Shahed-style one-way attack drones.
In response, Ukraine has retrofitted helicopters to shoot them down, has used Yak-52 propeller-driven planes ad hoc, and sought other lower-end aircraft to counter the drone threat.
Russia has responded in kind with modified civilian Cessna 172 and 182 aircraft, Yak-52 trainers, and Yak-130 light combat aircraft for the role.
In the United States, the USAF has urgently jerry-rigged F-15s, F-16s, and A-10 Warthogs to carry laser-guided APKWS II rockets, transforming them into effective drone hunters.
According to the Czech Republic’s president, Ukraine has been seeking to acquire these L-159s for at least half a year.
Separately, while public moods to provide aid in Poland have also shifted, Poland is still willing to provide weapons as part of a mutual transaction. Poland has recently agreed to supply up to nine more ageing MiG-29s to Ukraine in exchange for Ukraine’s growing drone tech.
The Aero L-159 ALCA
The Aero L-159 is a subsonic attack aircraft and trainer jet built by the Czech company, Aero Vodochody, and is now out of production.
The aircraft was developed from the Aero L-59 Super Albatros and first flew in 1997 before being introduced in 2000. It was only produced for the Czech Air Force, which acquired 72 examples.
The Czech fleet was reduced to just 24 L-59s in 2003 due to budget constraints, with the rest being placed into storage. Over the following decades, some were sold to the Iraqi Air Force and civilian operators like Draken International, which uses them for adversary training.
Aero Vodochody has moved onto its updated Aero L-39 Skyfox turbofan advanced jet trainer and light combat aircraft. The aircraft is now in service with the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Vietnam.
Featured image: Wikimedia
