“By the end of the election period, we would like to have two helicopters – one European and one from the Czech Republic. It is an investment in the security of the citizens of the Czech Republic,” said Interior Minister Vít Rakušan (STAN) after the government meeting.
In total, the Czech Republic will purchase six machines, it is not said when this should happen. According to the minister, it would be ideal by 2030. The Czech Republic will thus become one of the air bases for the EU.
“It’s not just about firefighting, helicopters can be used to search for people, monitor a complicated traffic situation and during border controls, if they ever need to be introduced,” he added.
According to the Austrian, the situation is increasingly problematic. He alluded to warming, intense drought and the associated more frequent fires. Last year in July, a fire destroyed 1,600 hectares of land in Czech Switzerland, where helicopters from Poland, Italy and Slovakia had to help. The Czech Republic does not have enough machines and has nowhere to place the new ones.
“During our presidency of the EU, we offered the Czech Republic as a place where we would place aviation equipment that would be able to serve the whole of Central Europe if necessary or help even in more distant places,” said the Austrian.
The purchase of machines is estimated at seven billion crowns. “But we will draw half from European money,” added the Austrian.
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