The UK and Czechia have strengthened defence export prospects as
new Defence Minister visited the International
Defence and Securities Technologies Fair (IDET) in Brno today.
Visiting stalls from some of the UK’s key Defence companies,
including SUPACAT, Marshall Land Systems and BAE Systems,
Cartlidge discussed how the UK defence industry can further
support the Czech Armed Forces through defence exports and
government-to-government support.
Meeting with senior government officials, Cartlidge outlined how
the UK would continue to support Czechia, building on a
long-standing defence and security partnership between the two
nations.
Czechia is about to complete negotiations to sign a contract with
UK-based defence company, SUPACAT, for 24 High Mobility
Transport (HMT) vehicles for their Armed Forces, known in the
British Army as the JACKAL series of reconnaissance and long
range patrol vehicles. The UK has been producing these vehicles
for more than ten years, with contracts delivering on the Prime
Minister’s priorities to grow the economy and support UK jobs.
Minister for Defence Procurement, , said:
We have a strong defence relationship with our Czech
counterparts, standing firm together against Russia’s illegal
invasion of Ukraine, as part of NATO.
Building on this existing partnership, we remain committed to
ensuring we continue to work together, offering the best of
British industry to support the military capabilities of our
close NATO Ally.
The strong defence partnership between the UK and Czechia is
showcased by the British Military Assistance Training Team
(Czechia), in place for 23 years and jointly delivering UK
thought leadership and career and tactical training courses to 15
countries across the region, including Moldova, Ukraine and
Georgia.
Czech and British soldiers have served alongside each other for
more than 20 years in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, as well as
(under EU and UN mandates) Mali and elsewhere in Africa.
Czechia is very much a central European standard-bearer for
Ukraine, proportionally ahead of many larger European nations in
having providing over £1.5 billion in lethal and non-lethal
aid since the conflict begun.
Earlier this year, Czechia and UK were both part of a group of
European nations that signed The Tallinn Pledge, committing to
collectively pursue delivery of an unprecedented set of donations
including main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defence,
ammunition, and infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine’s defence
against Russia’s illegal invasion.
