Picek reacted to the information of the Czech weekly Euro that he had warned of the decision to buy the planes. Picek has also denied that he had sent a report with reservations about the aircraft to Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova (the Christian Democrats, KDU-CSL). Picek wrote the renewal of the transportation fleet and replacement of the obsolete An-26s was a priority of the Czech military. Picek wrote CASA C-295Ms were used by other armies as well and were being used with success in Afghanistan Rice says Czechs might travel to USA visa-free by year end ...
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Slovakia to Join the Euro ... within the ISAF forces. Picek wrote the purchase of four aircraft would not be the final solution to the renewal of the transport air force. In the near future, it will be necessary to settle the lacking required capacity by the purchase of another two planes of the category A-400 or C 130 J Super Hercules.
However, the planes are in quite a different category than CASA C-295M, Picek wrote. The connection of the purchase of CASA planes along with the sale of five redundant L-159s from the Czech military is an undeniable positive aspect of the project due to the saved costs, Picek said. Euro wrote that Picek said that CASA C-295M could not reach Afghanistan without a stopover, which would be vital for the evacuation of wounded troops, and it did not have enough beds for the transportation of the wounded. Besides, the aircraft is not as fast as rival planes, he allegedly added in the report. According to Euro, Picek said it was dangerous that in the event of an engine failure or if it is hit by hostile fire, "the plane is unable to fly over the mountains in Afghanistan, the place where our mission is being fulfilled and where our troops are stationed." The military wants to buy the planes CASA C-295M, but the deal has been criticised by the Italian firm Alenia Aeronautica that has offered its own Spartan C-27J. Besides, the Defence Ministry wants to exchange five redundant Czech L-159s for one newly manufactured plane CASA C-295M. In April, the government approved a memorandum of understanding with the consortium EADS to this respect. Alenia Aeronautica's representatives in the Czech Republic said the planned deal had breached the EU's principles of transparency and no discrimination in placing public orders. The Czech military insists the deal is in order.
(Ceske Noviny)
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