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NATO days will experience the F-35 flypast for the first time
Visitors to this year's NATO Days in Ostrava & Czech Air Force Days will experience another great premiere. The flypast of two 5th generation F-35 Lightning II aircraft of the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
After last year's debut of Italian machines on static display, the most modern western combat aircraft are returning to the Mošnov airport. Visitors will thus see another machine, which is part of the modernization projects of the Army of the Czech Republic, in action. In the future, it intends to purchase F-35 aircraft for the Air Force as a replacement for the leased Gripens.
"We were able to negotiate this flypast thanks to the support of our main partner, Lockheed Martin, and we are glad that thanks to this NATO Days holds primacy in Central Europe in presenting these most modern 5th generation combat aircraft," says Zbyněk Pavlačík, chairman of Jagello 2000. "Thanks to a 1:1 scale model in Czech colours, visitors will also be able to sit in his cockpit in the area."
The F-35 aircraft are primarily an American project of Lockheed Martin while their development and production take place in international cooperation. Its main advantage is the wide variability of use – the aircraft can provide direct air support to troops on the ground, conduct reconnaissance operations, engage in electronic warfare or suppress enemy's air defence.
The features that make the F-35 a fifth-generation aircraft include multi-purpose use, stealth technology (invisibility to radars), high manoeuvrability and advanced avionics. The main reason behind its development was the effort to replace the fleet of F-16 aircraft. Thanks to its versatility, however, air forces are also starting to use it instead of the F/A-18 Hornet, A-10 Thunderbolt II or the legendary AV-8B Harrier II.
The F-35 aircraft is produced in three variants - the classic version A, B with the ability to take off from a place, and version C which is intended for aircraft carriers. Currently, these machines are mainly available in the United States, but also the United Kingdom, Israel or Japan. In April 2021, Denmark received its first F-35 aircraft. The Netherlands currently has 24 F-35A aircraft in service with the total number expected to rise to 52 in the future.
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