Prague, Jun 26 (AP) The government in the Czech Republic on Thursday approved a plan by the country's Defence Ministry to extend the contract with Sweden to lease Swedish Gripen fighter jets till 2035.

The lease of the JAS-39 C/D Gripen planes for the Czech air force, which began in 2005, was to expire in 2027 after it was already extended by 12 years.

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The Defence Ministry said the Czechs will pay a total of 16.7 billion Czech koruna (USD 790 million) for the lease of 12 fighter jets, two less than under the current contract, and also including their service and pilot trainings.

The Czechs already signed a deal with the United States last year to acquire 24 US F-35 fighter jets to replace the Gripens but the first of the new jets will be delivered in 2031, with the rest by 2035. (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)