Czech decision for a new fighter delayed

PRAGUE – The new social democrat government has postponed any decision
on the purchase of new combat aircraft to after the NATO summit in Prague, to take place Nov 21-22, Czech daily Hospodarske Noviny reported citing deputy defence minister Stefan Fuele.
The postponement of the decision from September, as had been previously announced, will enable the government to “examine once again the purchase of supersonic jets after the summit of NATO’s highest officials,” Fuele said.
The previous government of social democrat Milos Zeman failed to win
parliamentary approval for the purchase of 24 Saab/BAE Systems JAS-39 Gripen fighters, to replace the air force’s Soviet-era MiG-21s.
However the government has been coming under US pressure to buy F-16 or F/A-18 jets instead.