WARSAW, Poland -- Minister of Defense for the Czech Republic, Karla Slechtova, has announced that her ministry will not sign a contract for eight Israeli-made IAI Elta Systems EL/M-2084 multi-mission radars due to questions regarding their interoperability with the NATO air-defense network. The Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency has not signed off on the documentation for the purchase of the 3-D radars, thus negating forward movement on the deal. Without the agency's certification the radars cannot be integrated into NATO infrastructure.
The Czech Defense Ministry had announced the proposed purchase arrangement of the Israeli radars on December 14, 2016, which were to serve as a replacement for the Army's aging Soviet-legacy platforms, including the 1970s-legacy P-37 Bar Lock 2-D analog radar and PRV-17 altimeters built in the 1980s.
However, former Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky (slated to be the next foreign minister), postponed signing the CZD3.6 billion ($175 million) contract in anticipation of his removal from his then-role as defense minister.
Defense Minister Slechtova has stated that a newly stood-up working group will prepare a revised contract by the end of April.