JAS-39 Gripen aircraft at the 21st base of the tactical air force, February 14, 2023, Čáslav. On February 17, 2023, four Jas-39 Gripen aircraft left the base in Čáslav for Sweden. At the Vidsel shooting range, Czech fighters will practice sharp shooting at aerial targets.
Čáslav (Kutnohorsk Region) – Four Jas-39 Gripen fighter jets flew from the base in Čáslav in the Kutnohorsk Region to Sweden this morning. At the Vidsel air base and shooting range, Czech fighters will practice sharp shooting with anti-aircraft guided missiles at air targets and will improve their flying skills at low altitudes above the terrain without significant landmarks. The return is planned for February 27, the backup date is a day later, contingent commander Pavel Pavlík told journalists.
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“We don't often practice shooting at aerial targets, so it's the culmination of training for everyone,” said Pavlík. Shooting against ground targets is practiced in Czech conditions, sharp shooting at air targets can only be practiced abroad. The last time Czech pilots tried it was in 2019, also at the Vidsel shooting range in Sweden.
“We have to pass it so that we can be used in combat and have experience with firing a rocket, because air-to-air shooting is not common after all,” Pavlík pointed out. Another task the pilots have before them is to practice flying at low altitudes up to 30 meters above the ground, which cannot be practiced in the Czech Republic either.
Five airplanes were set aside for the exercise, one was kept as a reserve. Nine pilots are headed to the north of Sweden, including the technical staff, which is about four dozen people. They have rented part of the airport, according to Pavlík, only Czech pilots will participate in the exercise. Originally, L-159 Alca light fighters were also supposed to fly to the Vidsel base, but in the end it was not possible due to meteorological conditions. Unlike gripens, these planes are not adapted for rolling snow.
Pilots will use the AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles they have in their arsenal during training. “It's a thermally guided missile that will target a target behind the drone. It's a traction element that is remotely controlled. The target itself, at which the missile is fired, is a certain reflector with a thermal trace, a so-called flare,” said Pavlík. Due to financial constraints, fighters can use eight missiles. “We have paid for two drone presentations, each with four flares, that means four targets,” specified Pavlík.
The Vidsel air range near the Arctic Circle will provide Czech pilots not only with logistical facilities, but also suitable conditions for practicing sharpshooting. because it is located in an uninhabited landscape. In the Czech Republic, these shootings are not possible due to the population density.
Czech military pilots currently fly 12 single-seat and two two-seat Jas-39 Gripen fighters, which the Czech Republic has leased from Sweden. The gripen lease ends in 2027, after which the Czech army can use a two-year option. Based on a government decision from the summer, the Czech Republic wants to purchase 24 F-35s from the USA.
