Aero Welcomed the Ministers of Defence of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic

Vodochody, April 8, 2025 – On April 8, the management of Aero, led by company President Viktor Sotona, welcomed the Czech Minister of Defence, Jana Černochová, and the Slovak Minister of Defence, Robert Kaliňák. The meeting followed the signing of a bilateral cooperation declaration between the two ministries of defence and supported further development and deepening of Czech-Slovak defence-industrial cooperation, which both ministers endorsed.

Aero President Viktor Sotona introduced Minister Robert Kaliňák to the new L-39 Skyfox aircraft, highlighting its tactical and training capabilities and its potential use in the air forces of partner countries.

“We offer the Slovak Republic long-term cooperation, particularly in sharing information and know-how in personnel and pilot training, support in the introduction of L-39 Skyfox aircraft into service and their subsequent maintenance, government-to-government trade opportunities through a framework agreement, and industrial cooperation – specifically the strategic involvement of Slovak industry through the company Letecké opravovne Trenčín,” said Viktor Sotona, President of AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE.

These modern aircraft are already used for training pilots of the Czech Army and the first L-39 Skyfox jets will soon be delivered to the Hungarian Air Force. Since last year, the L-39 Skyfox has also been operating in Vietnam, which became Aero’s first customer for the aircraft.

The Aero L-39 Skyfox is a completely new, multifunctional modern platform capable of covering various roles – from training pilots for advanced fighter jets such as the F-16, F-35, or Saab JAS-39 Gripen, to light combat and reconnaissance missions in cooperation with multiple land and air force units. It is the most efficient aircraft in its category, powered by a turbofan engine that enables extremely low fuel consumption and continuous operations of up to four hours of flight time – making it ideal for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions such as border and coastal patrol. The L-39 Skyfox can also be deployed as a light attack aircraft against ground targets or slow, low-flying air targets. Its hardpoints can carry a variety of weapons and mission equipment, including guided and unguided bombs, machine guns, guided and unguided rockets, or external fuel tanks – with a payload of up to 1.65 tons.

AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. focuses on the development, production, maintenance, and modernization of both civilian and military aircraft. It is the largest aircraft manufacturer in the Czech Republic and one of the oldest aircraft manufacturers in the world. In the field of proprietary aircraft, Aero is a long-term partner to several air forces and holds a strong position in the market for military training and light combat aircraft. With over 11,000 aircraft produced in its century-long history, hundreds of L-39 Albatros jets still in service with dozens of military operators and aerobatic teams, and now with the new L-39 Skyfox, Aero positions itself as a global leader in the jet trainer aircraft market. In civil aviation, Aero cooperates with major global aircraft manufacturers on a wide range of projects and participates in several risk-sharing programs, where it is responsible not only for production and assembly of aircraft components, but also for their development.

Contact:
Radka Černá, PR & Communications Manager
Email: radka.cerna@aero
Phone: +420 608 974 258
Website: www.aero.cz

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