@praisethesteph and I visited IDET defence exhibition yesterday.
Here is what I found interesting.
THREAD 1/X
STARKOM. This is new EW system made by Czech defense industry and currently fielded by Czech Army. Its build on Tatra 815-7 chassis with level 2 armoured cabin. 2/x
Some more newly fielded equipment. Like Scania 8x8, PODTEO meteorological reconaissance or new MADR ELM-2084 MMR radar. 3/x
Lot more was there to see. Like POP-3 mobile container Medical unit on Tatra 815-7 6x6, mobile communicaton vehicle build on Tatra Armax. RBS-70NG carrier and recovery Tatra 815-7 8x8 V. All used by Czech armed forces 4/x
One very interesting system, newly fielded by Czech Armed forces, are Czech-made inflatable decoys. Same company is sending decoys to UA. Here STARKOM and Leo2A4 decoys were presented. 5/x
Inside, Czech Armed Forces presented more equipment, such as drones, weaponry and new Titus 6x6, both in signals, and fire coordination version. Beautiful vehicle, Czech-made and equiped with czech multispectral camo net 6/x
Also newly fielded VOBU2018 made by Fénix Protector company was presented 7/x
Now lets go to private, or state companies. We start with CSG. Biggest Czech defence company. Here is their Pandur II with UT-30mk.2 turret. This turret might be used for czech army Pandur II MLU. 8/x
Of course Tatra Phoenix 8x8 and Force cannot be missing. Same goes for Phoenix with Armoured cab 9/x
Also Treva-30, DITA howitzer, Morana howitzer and Patriot II 4x4 MRAP, all made by Czech @excaliburarmycz company were showcased. 10/x
New Tatra Force was Presented, and oh my. What a beauty. First new generation Tatra Force was given to Czech Firefighters. Military version of the cabin will be done by next year. 11/x
Czech STV Group company presented new drones. These seems to be suicide ones. Also M72 which will be likely adopted by Czech armed forces was displayed 12/x
Also Czech military technical institute VTÚ presented new drone. Also its Taros 4x4 armed UGV with RCWS was presented. VTU also showed its new RCWS. 13/x
Czech Company Retia Pardubice presented its new C-UAS system, called ReCas that is made of active (reguard radar) and passive detection system. And hard-kill (laser and soft-kill (drone rifle - ADW) efectors. 14/x
Now lets go to foreign companies. KMW and Nexter displayed Leo2A7+ MBT, which better iteration 2A8 is wanted by Czech Armed Forces (up to 70 will be bought) and Caesar 8x8. Czech Armed Forces bought 62 of Caesar CZ 8x8. First will be delivered by 2024/2025 for testing 15/x
Also this Titus 6x6 mortar version seems good. Same goes for Arquus Sabre 4x4 light assault vehicle, that was customized by Czech VTÚ, for our paratrooper/recon light assault vehicle tender, that is now under way. Czech army wants to buy 150 vehicles in multiple versions. 16/x
Here comes the king. CV-90mk.IV with D-series turret with APS, that was developed specifically for Czech army tender. This one is armed with 35mm cannon. Czech army wants 30mm. Yesterday, deal was finally signed. Czech Army will get 246 vehicles. Great news! 17/x
There was of course lot more. But this was most interesting for me. So this was IDET and lets end it with Czech Firefighting speciala, made by Tatra Trucks and other Czech companies, like EA. This Tatra Force 10x10 cistern is amazing.
1) EW suite. Both Czech and Slovak CV90 (CV9030CZ and CV9035SK) will utilize anti-drone and C-RCIED jammers from URC Systems and Jisr Institute 🇨🇿. These along with other solutions are deployed all around the vehicle, including both turret and hull.
⬇️2/x
2) 🇨🇿 industry. Czechia is receiving technology transfer of addon armor, so it will be another part that will be made here. Along with chassis, C4I, turrets, sights, RWS, LWS, multispectral nets, electromechanical components, cabling, simulators. That is nice.
and also build new CV90´s for the needs of Czech Armed Forces. This is one of the key aspects of strategic security and domestic sustainability of the CV90 fleet during the whole lifecycle.
According to 🇨🇿 defence minister Jana Černochová.
⬇️2/5
Ths was the last part, and the hardest part of the negotiations with BAE Systems, but it was absolutely crucial, because in her view and the view of the MoD
"We as a state cant be reliant (and blackmailable) on private subjects. License must be owned by the state or
One of the demands of Czech MoD concerning the new tracked IFV project was at least 40% participation of domestic defense industry. BAE Hagglunds, given their already proved and utilized offset industrial program was able to meet the demands and to actually exceed them.
⬇️2/
As the time goes, more projects are being announced, and given the BAE seemingly sees the industrial potential of Czech Republic, there are now signed projects that even dont have direct connection to CV90.
1) CV9030CZ is a modified CV90Mk.IV, the newest iteration of proven CV90 platform. CV90 is currently the most widely used tracked IFV in Europe and thanks to Czech and Slovak acquisitions of 400 CV's with delivery till 2030, it will stay that way. Not to speak about 🇺🇦 or 🇩🇰
⬇️2
CV9030CZ is a nationalized version, customized based on requirements of Czech Land Forces, utilizing multiple solutions from Czech Defense Industry, such as C-RCIED and C-UAS radio signal jammers, similar to those being used on other vehicles of Czech Army
There are some comparisons between Czech and Polish Forces and that is fine by me, as long as it is not dickmeasuring and out of context mumbling.
Lets put things into perspective in this thread🧵
Population
Economy&Politics
Funding
Strategic Reality & History
⬇️1/x
POPULATION
🇨🇿: 11 millions
🇵🇱: 38 millions
This parameter alone allows Polish Forces to be (and they are) larger by several times. Without other implications, multiplication factor is roughly 3,5.
Of course, that is without said politics, actual funding etc.
⬇️2/
Before we move further, lets do a recap of actual sizes of the forces. We will compare Land Forces, Air Force and TerDef Forces.
Land Forces
🇨🇿: 13 500 (AZ included, circa 18k planned by 2030)
🇵🇱: 60 000
Air Force
🇨🇿: 5 500 (about 6000 planned by 2030)
🇵🇱: 17-18 000