Vietnam signs contract for 12 L-39NG jets

Aero Vodochody L-39NG trainer jet.

On February 15, 2021, the Czech defense technology group Omnipol, strategic partner of the manufacturer Aero Vodochody, announced that they have finalized a contract with the Ministry of Defense of Vietnam for the supply of 12 L-39NG jets. The aircraft will be delivered between 2023 and 2024.

The contract includes the acquisition of 12 L-39NGs, as well as the training of pilots, instructors, ground crew and mechanics. It also includes the supply of aircraft spare parts and equipment for ground-based training, logistics support or specialized airport systems. This will give Vietnam the ability to complete the training of pilots and ground crew.

This contract marks one of the largest deals of the Czech defense industry in recent years, in the hi-tech sector of military aviation. It is also the largest for the new L-39NG, a deeply updated variant of the well-known L-39 Albatros.

"We are proud to announce this crucial and strategic cooperation, which is an important milestone for the L-39NG project. The combination of a modern L-39NG training aircraft and the high professionalism of the Vietnam Air Force brings about the deepening and mutual development of relations between the Czech Republic and Vietnam," Jiří Podpěra, President of Omnipol, said. 

This contract strengthens the long-standing collaboration between Vietnam and the Czech aerospace industry which in the 1970s and 1980s supplied the Vietnamese People’s Air Force with aircraft such as the Zlín Z-226, the AERO AE 45 and the L-39 Albatros. A total of 31 L-39s were delivered to Vietnam via Omnipol for the training of new cadets.

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Source: Omnipol

Photo Credit: Aero Vodochody