According to Josef Středula, the chairman of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, reports that the promised cooperation is stuck, so he ordered Minister of Defense Lubomír Metnar (for YES) and asks for an explanation.
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“According to my information, LOM will not receive service from those American helicopters, which is why I want to meet with the Minister of Defense, because it does not look promising at all,” Středula told Práva. He is to meet Metnar at the end of July.
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The contract for the purchase of eight multi-purpose UH-1Y Venom helicopters and four AH-1Z Viper combat machines was signed by Metnar at the end of last year.
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The ministry was already defending at the time that the service agreement could not be signed at the same time, because it was an intergovernmental agreement between the United States and the Czech Republic.
“The agreement is a formalized document that follows from American legislation and must not contain specific conditions for industrial cooperation,” Jan Pejšek, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, told Práva. According to him, the service contract should be signed at the beginning of 2023.
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Metnar: The US is not throwing us overboard
Středula does not understand why the defense did not sign the service contract right away. “It is possible that the service contract could not be part of the purchase contract, but they could have signed it at the same time,” he said. According to Středula, the problem may be that someone else will rule at the time the service contract is negotiated.
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Minister of Defense Lubomír Metnar
Photo: Petr Horník, Právo
Metnar believes he will allay trade union concerns. “In his offer, Bell clearly declared the involvement of the state-owned company LOM in service during the lifecycle of helicopters,” Metnar told Práva. He added that negotiations with the Americans are ongoing and there is plenty of time for that. “The helicopters will arrive in 2023 and by then LOM must obtain certification,” the minister noted.
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In the past, however, the defense often left the service negotiations to a later date and then pulled on the shorter end of the rope. “I firmly believe that the American partners do not throw us overboard. The contract is possible, but when LOM acquires the necessary know-how, “Metnar responded to the question of what they will do if the American manufacturer does not fulfill the declared promises.
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In December 2019, LOM signed a memorandum with Bell Helicopter Textron on its involvement in helicopter maintenance, but according to the Rights, they are not yet preparing for a new job and obtaining certifications at LOM.
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“It will take a lot of time to prepare the background and technological products, including the transition from metric to inches, but nothing has happened yet,” a well-informed source from a state-owned company told Práva.
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Joel Best from Bell Práv said that they are working to meet the requirements of the Czech side. “The industrial cooperation program is focused on LOM Prague and its ability to support the H-1 helicopter platform and ensure long-term supplies, as stated in the requirements of the Ministry of Defense,” said Best.
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He added that they are currently working on the qualification of several Czech companies as their suppliers who can offer components at competitive prices.
LOM Prague is a state-owned enterprise that mainly provides service to Russian Mi series helicopters for the Czech Army. In recent years, it has not succeeded economically, reporting a loss of over 150 million last year, which is why a helicopter service contract is vital for the company. Středula wants to hear from the Minister what his plan is to save LOM, and also what it looks like with the involvement of another state enterprise VOP CZ in the planned production of infantry fighting vehicles for the army for 52 billion crowns.
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“It’s important because they are companies with eight hundred employees,” said Středula. According to him, a change in legislation would be necessary so that the state could award contracts directly to its companies and not have to look at the Public Procurement Act.
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Metnar believes the state-owned company will rise. “I am grossly dissatisfied with LOM’s management. “The leadership has changed there, so I believe they will go upstairs now,” he remarked. Bell was to promise that 30 percent of the contract would be won by Czech companies. In addition to LOM Prague, it should be another state military enterprise – the Military Technical Institute – and the companies Aero Vodochody, Ray Service and VR Group.
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The President of the Association of the Defense and Security Industry Jiří Hynek told Práva that cooperation is still being talked about. “We assume that Bell will give work to our companies, if not, we will speak out loud,” he said.
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