The Czech Republic will produce mobile air defense systems for Ukraine that can target drones. This project is financed by the Netherlands.
This is reported by Ceske Noviny.
It involves a hundred modified Toyota SUVs equipped with several rapid-fire machine guns that can target drones.
The project is a response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Air defense missiles that Ukraine uses against Iranian drones are many times more expensive than these drones. Therefore, after consultations with Ukraine and the Czech arms industry, the Czech Republic offered the Netherlands to participate in the project of off-road vehicles equipped with large-caliber machine guns — the ammunition for them is much cheaper.
The project is based on the same principles as the previously announced modernization of 90 T-72 tanks. Their repair is jointly paid for by the USA and the Netherlands, everything is coordinated by the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic. Modernization and supply of tanks is provided by a Czech company.
- On February 9, the U.S. intelligence reported that Iran is modifying its kamikaze drones, which it provides to Russia, so that their warheads can inflict maximum damage on infrastructure targets in Ukraine.
- From September, when the Russian occupiers began using Iranian kamikaze drones, and until January, the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces have already destroyed almost 500 such drones.
- In February, it became known that Russia and Iran are increasing cooperation for the construction of a factory for the production of Shahed drones on the territory of the Russian Federation. It is planned to produce at least 6 000 drones for the war in Ukraine.