Although the Czech Air Force will take delivery next year of the first of two ordered Embraer C-390 medium transport aircraft, which will become the new flagship of the Kbely-based transport wing, the most numerous type in the Czech transport fleet will remain the smaller turboprop transport aircraft CASA C-295. This Spanish type has been serving reliably with the Czech Air Force for fifteen years, and since the military plans to continue operating the C-295 in the future, the entire fleet will undergo another scheduled modernization between 2025 and 2028.

The 24th Air Transportation Base (24th ATB) in Kbely, or rather its 242nd Transport and Special Squadron, currently operates a total of six CASA transport aircraft, four of which are original C-295Ms that were taken over by the Air Force in 2010, while two newer winglet-equipped C-295MWs arrived in Kbely in 2021. Both versions are tactical medium transport aircraft for medium and short ranges, which perform a wide range of tasks in the Czech Armed Forces. While the original version with a classic wing is primarily used for missions generally associated with tactical flying due to its better flight characteristics at lower flight levels, the winglet aircraft are mainly used for classic transport purposes instead of the decommissioned Jak-40 and Challenger aircraft due to their better characteristics at higher flight levels. The Czech Armed Forces have also been deploying CASA aircraft on long-term MFO missions in Sinai, and in the past, this type has also been used in combat operations to rescue diplomats from Tripoli, Libya, and to support special forces in Mali, Africa.

It is clear that the Czech CASA fleet is gradually undergoing various upgrades during its service. The first major modernization took place in 2021-2022 on four original C-295Ms to bring these aircraft into compliance with new European standards for civil aviation. In general, this involved the modernization of communication, navigation, and avionics systems, the flight planning system, the installation of satellite communication equipment, and a new DATAlink data communication interface. All four C-295M aircraft in service were also equipped with new SW10+ flight software, and the upgraded aircraft were easily recognizable by the large SATCOM antenna on the upper side of the fuselage in front of the vertical stabilizer root.

After fifteen years of service, the entire C-295 fleet is awaiting further modernization, which this time will primarily focus on upgrading the avionics software and Friend or Foe identification systems on all six CASA C-295M/MW aircraft in operation. The Ministry of Defense first announced the public contract entitled "CASA C-295 IFF Aircraft – Modernization" with an estimated value of CZK 324.8 million excluding VAT in November 2024, when it was submitted to the government. The contract itself was then concluded in December 2024 with the aircraft manufacturer, the Spanish company Airbus Defence and Space, with the modernization work to be carried out gradually on all aircraft until 2028. This public contract was awarded in a negotiated procedure without publication, i.e., by directly contacting Airbus Defence and Space, which, as the manufacturer of CASA aircraft, is the sole holder of the type certificate for C-295 aircraft, entitling it to issue and approve regular service bulletins and owning all proprietary and commercial rights to carry out the modernization.

Specifically, all six Czech CASA C-295 aircraft will undergo modernization of their avionics software from version SW 10+ to version SW 10.1, which includes the integration of new military GPS and IFF Mode 5 systems in the digital military standard (Mode 5 is one of the military modes of operation of IFF /Identification Friend or Foe/ systems, i.e., systems for recognizing friendly and enemy aircraft). In addition, the radio stations on all six aircraft will be upgraded with the installation of new Warrior AN/ARC-210 radios. In addition to the upgrade itself, the contract also includes the supply of ground equipment to ensure the operation and maintenance of the newly installed aircraft components, training for avionics specialists, including the upgrade of training equipment, and the ordering of spare parts for storage.

The fleet of four original C-295M aircraft is also due for another overhaul after eight years of service, which will be carried out by the manufacturer under a service contract. The Full In-Service Support contract is valid until November 30, 2030, and is limited to a maximum financial limit of CZK 2.182 billion. The subject of this "robust" contract is the comprehensive support of CASA C-295M/MW aircraft operations, i.e. aircraft inspections, general repairs of aircraft parts, repairs and maintenance, purchase of spare parts and repair materials, maintenance of ground equipment and accessories, and the procurement of services to ensure aircraft operation, which should contribute to the high availability of the C-295 type in the Czech Air Force's transport aviation.