The first year of the Future Air Force 2023 conference follows on the successful L-39 aircraft user conferences. The event, which was attended by 26 delegations from all over the world, including 7 from Africa, was lead by the Commander of the Air Forces of the Army of the Czech Republic, Major General Petr Čepelka. The delegation from the Ghana Air Force Command was led by the Takoradi Air Base Commander Air Commodore Parker. The Ghanaian Air Force already actively cooperates with Czech strategic partners, such as the company Aero Vodochody and the Aviation Training Center in Pardubice (LOM Prague).

During the conference, the delegation had the opportunity to observe new trends and innovations in the field of military aviation, including the Czech L-39NG aircraft and the possibility of its acquisition. The conference also served to share experiences with colleagues from other countries across continents. In order to familiarize themselves with the practical operation of the aircraft, the delegation also visited the Aviation Training Center in Pardubice (LOM Prague), where they saw a practical demonstration of the L-39NG flight and learned about the training options for both pilots and technical personnel provided by the Center.

At the airport in Mošnov near Ostrava, the participants of the mission participated in the military and security technology show, NATO Days. In addition to classic dynamic demonstrations of military and security technology, they had the opportunity to visit the stands of other important companies of the Czech defense industry whose products the delegation showed interest in, e.g. Era, Česká zbrojovka, SVOS, Omnipol, Tatra and others. During their stay in Mošnov, the delegation also visited the Helicopter Training Point, where they received information about the possibilities of training on helicopter simulators and had the opportunity to try a simulated helicopter flight. The Czech defense industry has once again proven that it is one of the key sectors that definitely has a lot to offer African partners, and this extends across its portfolio, not just in the field of aviation.

The participation and positive responses of the Ghanaian delegation only confirmed the importance of inviting foreign delegations to events of this type. In the case of the delegations, their participation led to the opening of new negotiations on specific orders, which will hopefully soon materialize into signed contracts. The opportunity to see the quality and level of Czech production with one's own eyes and to exchange experiences on its use provides great opportunities for establishing good business relations with these perspective countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

Author: Beata Matusikova, Economic and Trade Counsellor, Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ghana