Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz told the media that Israel contracted a Defence deal with the Czech Republic to provide it with four Spyder short-range air defense system batteries. According to reports, the Spyder system includes a radar array produced by a subsidiary firm of Israel Aerospace Industries. The Director-general of Israel’s Defense Ministry, Amir Eshel has termed the deal as a milestone in the strategic cooperation between the two countries. Czech Defense Minister Lubomir Metnar hailed the purchase and said that Israel’s Spyder air defence system has emerged as the most efficient one from the comparison. Czech Republic has been using defence equipment made by the former Soviet Union during the 1970s.
The ancestor of the Czech Republic, the former Communist state Czecho-Slovakia was fully aligned with the Soviet bloc during the cold war and all its defense and economic needs were mostly fulfilled by the Communist bloc. However, the Velvet revolution ended the rule of communist party of former Czecho-Slovakia in 1993. After its inception Czech Republic usually followed pro-western policy, joined NATO alliance, and remained a part of NATO military campaigns in Afghanistan, Iran, Bosnia Herzegovina, Mali, Kosovo, and Somalia.
The current government of President Milos Zeman is too conscious about the nation’s defence and has adopted an urgent approach toward the country’s defence needs and aims at induction of state-of-the-art military equipment in its war machine. Czech Republic maintained strong military ties with Israel and remained a big importer of Israeli Defence equipment during the past. Czech Republic started a modernization program of its Defence Forces and mostly inducted defence equipment made by the Israeli manufacturing firms including MADR radars, missiles and other latest defence equipment. According to experts, the Czech-Israel romance started after assuming office by the pro-Israeli Czech President Milos Zeman. President Zeman is a stanch pro-Israel and has been supporting Israel at all international forums of the world. Although, there is lot of criticism of his pro-Israel policies in the country, but he has no care of his repute. Apparently, Czech-Israel military diplomacy is likely to grow during the coming years until Zeman is in chair of the President.
