Israel to sell Iron Dome radars to Czech Republic
Israel on Thursday agreed to sell eight Iron Dome radar systems to the Czech Republic in a deal worth an estimated $125 million, the Defense Ministry said.
According to the ministry, the eight ELM-2084 Multi-Mission Radars will be delivered to Prague over the course of three years, from 2021 to 2023. They are the radar arrays used in cooperation with interceptor missile launchers in Israel’s Iron Dome batteries.
“The acquisition of eight ‘Iron Dome’ radars is one of the key modernization projects on behalf of the Czech Armed Forces and specifically the Air Defense branch,” said Czech Defense Minister Lubomír Metnar.
The contract will be fulfilled by the Israeli Aerospace Industries subsidiary ELTA, which manufactures the radar systems, with 30 percent of the money required to be spent within the Czech defense industry under the agreement, meaning “significant parts of the systems will be produced locally,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The agreement was signed at an official ceremony in the Czech Republic.
The director of the International Cooperation Directorate of the Israeli Defense Ministry, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Yair Kulas, said he hopes the agreement will pave the way for further deals with NATO countries.
“It is an expression of confidence in the capabilities of the Israeli defense establishment and defense industries and highlights the significance of Israeli technology in the face of the threats shared by the international community,” Kulas said.
In February, IAI said it had sold 100 units of the radar to nine countries for a total of approximately $2 billion.
Adoption of Iron Dome by militaries around the world helps sustain the production of the missile defense system, developed by Rafael and IAI, which Israel regards as critical in protecting its communities near its southern border with the Gaza Strip and its northern borders with Lebanon and Syria.
Read more: The Times of Israel