Czech state clears sale of military aircraft to Iraq

The Czech Republic's government says it has approved a deal to deliver 15 Czech-made light combat planes to Iraq.

Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky says the military will sell the subsonic L-159 planes for USD 30 million back to the maker, Aero Vodochody, which will then broker a deal with Iraq because the military is banned by law from selling directly.

Stropnicky said Monday Aero is expected to repair the planes and deliver them in two or three years.

The light combat and training planes were made between 1999 and 2003. The Czech army had been trying to sell most of them because it has no use for them.
 

Last year, the government approved another deal to deliver up to 28 of the aircraft to the United States.