The aging equipment at the disposal of the 7th Mechanised Brigade needs to be kept in service at least until the replacement comes in the form of new IFVs and tanks, therefore the Army or the Ministry of Defence recently announced a tender for the supply of spare parts for tank equipment on the chassis of the T-72 M4CZ and T-72 tanks and BVP-2 infantry fighting vehicles.

Picture: Army orders spare parts for T-72 tanks and BVP-2 IFVs | Mjr. Ladislav Kabat

Our army is still using an undetermined number of T-72 tanks in the M1 version, not only for training reserves. The 73rd Tank Battalion has modernised versions of the T-72 M4CZ, which are much more technologically advanced and can withstand comparison with foreign competitors, but their number is pitifully low, not to mention their functionality.
The tanks and infantry fighting vehicles should be replaced by new equipment in the future (most likely, T-72 M4CZ tanks will be replaced by German Leopard 2 A7+ tanks and BVP-2s will be replaced by Swedish CV90 MkIVs), but until their arrival, the existing ones must be fully operational in order to ensure the ability of the Army of the Czech Republic to fulfil its tasks and commitments.

For the above reason, a tender for the procurement of spare parts for both tanks and IFVs has recently been announced, for which potential bidders must apply by 17 October this year for tanks and 14 October this year for BVP-2. Depending on the scope of supply, the purchase will be in the order of millions of crowns. The subject of the demand for spare parts are e.g. fuel pumps, starters, alternators, hydropower pumps for fans, torsion bars, a number of electrical components including antennas, contactors, but also barrel caps, towing cables and other accessories.

It is also possible that some of the spare parts will be destined for equipment that will subsequently be sent to Ukraine, as has happened several times in the past. It should be noted here that the current and possible future export of this equipment does not affect or reduce the combat capability of our army in any way, as some mistakenly believe. It should also be noted that in the vast majority of cases, the Czech Republic will receive financial compensation for the export of equipment to Ukraine from NATO and EU funds. Czech military aid to Ukraine has already exceeded CZK 4 billion and, according to Defence Minister Jana Černochová, the Czech Republic will receive funding from 80% of these supplies back.

Czech military aid to Ukraine is one of the most important, alongside American, British, Polish, German and Slovak aid, and as Minister Černochová has said several times, aid to Ukraine must continue. Since the start of the Russian attack on 24 February, the Czech Republic has supplied a significant number of small arms, ammunition, ballistic missiles, anti-tank weapons, large-calibre ammunition and heavy military equipment, including tanks, rocket launchers, self-propelled guns and anti-aircraft guns, from the Czech Army's warehouses and from defence industry companies. These are the means chosen by the Ukrainian side from the available weapons and equipment.