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After a six-year pause, Japan Aerospace 2024, the most important industry event for the aerospace industry in the region, took place in Tokyo on 16-19 October 2024 with more than 37,000 visitors and 633 exhibitors. A total of 20 Czech companies were also present at the fair, including L.P.P. Holding a.s. and 4 industry associations at the national stand and at the accompanying presentation and networking event Czech Aerospace Seminar, which took place at the Embassy.

The installation of a new electronic beacon, which will enable full operation of twenty American Venom and Viper helicopters purchased for the Czech Army, was completed at the base in Náměšt’ nad Oslavou by the Czech technology company L.P.P. holding. The TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation System) navigation system, designed exclusively for military equipment, is one of the most widespread in NATO countries.

Two major events focused on the defence industry took place in South Korea at the turn of September and October this year, namely the DX Korea 2024 and KADEX 2024 exhibitions. These together attracted almost 550 companies from all over the world and the opportunity to showcase the quality of Czech solutions was not missed by our companies. The Korean defence market is growing steadily and this year its exports are expected to exceed USD 20 billion.

Czech software developers from Quantasoft have created a unique system that can recognize a face in a moment, even though it is covered by a mask or glasses. It also uses artificial intelligence to identify if there is an attacker with a weapon in the area. The technology is intended to increase security, especially in public institutions such as government departments, schools and hospitals. In the European Union, however, it is facing legislative challenges.

Simulated footage created by Quantasoft, a start-up focused on artificial intelligence and its use in real life, shows an attacker moving through the halls of a Prague hospital. If cameras with AI-powered systems detect that the attacker is carrying a weapon, the response comes in an instant. “It’s a matter of seconds when we detect a weapon even in places where people are not moving – and we send it to the central security centre,” says Milan Pašek, founder and managing director of Quantasoft. Security forces could then react immediately to a real threat. In addition to the ability to detect weapons, the company is also developing facial recognition software.

The rapid development of the Czech technology company LPP Holding has enabled cooperation with the Israeli concern Elbit Systems, one of the world leaders in the field of aerial and ground drones. “One of the projects we are preparing with Elbit involves the Israeli army. We will start production in the new facilities of our Pardubice centre already this year,” says Radim Petráš, co-owner and commercial director of LPP. The company’s core business areas include defence and security, and it also offers various solutions to hospitals and schools.

Aside from the recent major acquisitions of the Czech armament concerns Colt CZ and Czechoslovak Group, the L.P.P. holding may appear relatively small. But the unassuming holding owned by Jiří Sauer and Radim Petráš has grown from CZK 50 million to CZK 1.5 billion in turnover in five years. It has successfully established itself with technologies based on its own development. And last year, it entered into partnerships with global players such as the Israeli concern Elbit or the American Fortem Technologies, a manufacturer co-owned by Boeing or the F-35 fighter jet manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The Israeli company Elbit Systems plans to establish a production and development centre in the Czech Republic together with the Czech company LPP within two years. The centre will focus on the production and development of drones, including training of personnel. LPP will become a full-service partner for Czech and potentially other NATO customers. In the words of Amir Bettesh, Elbit Systems appreciates the cooperation with LPP and sees it as key to entering the European market and NATO. The location of the centre is not yet finalised, but one possibility is the T-CZ site in Pardubice, where LPP already operates. The Czech army could use the drones produced given the strategic importance of unmanned systems in current conflicts. The construction of the centre should be financed by investments in the order of hundreds of millions of crowns and could initially create up to 150 new jobs.

Czech technology holding LPP has signed a contract with the Emirati company Calidus for a cloud-seeding system for the B-250 light military fighter. It is a stores management system, with which the aircraft is able to command not the wind, but definitely the rain-controlled flares let the cloud expire where rain is needed and prevent it from expiring over the place where rain is not desirable. So if a cloud is approaching a city, for example, the system will “drop” it on a field where irrigation is needed.

The military airport in Prague-Kbely received a new radar navigation system ILS/DME. This guarantees safer landing, both at night and in poor conditions. Its advantage is also compatibility, among other things it can cooperate with the navigation system of American F-35 fighters, which the government plans to replace the current Swedish Gripen fighters in the Czech army.

One of the world leaders in the development and production of drones, the Israeli concern Elbit Systems, is planning to build a development, production and training centre for Central Europe in the Czech Republic. The domestic partner of the Israelis is the Czech company LPP, which focuses on civil and military avionic devices, autonomous control, thermal cameras or riflescopes. Elbit has not yet opened a similar technology centre in the European part of NATO. Outside Israel, it has several subsidiaries around the world, mainly in the United States.

The four most important military airports in the country were subsequently equipped with advanced technologies at a total cost of CZK 160 million. After the modernisation of the airports at Náměšt’ nad Oslavou and Čáslav, the airports in Pardubice and most recently in Prague-Kbely have also received new systems. In Pardubice, there is a Flight Training Centre operated by the state enterprise LOM Praha. In Kbely, there is the 24th Transport Air Force Base, which is responsible, among other things, for the travel of constitutional officials abroad. This week it arranged repatriation flights for Czech citizens from Israel.

Elbit Systems, a $5.5 billion company, and LPP, a leading manufacturer of avionics and systems using artificial intelligence capabilities in the aerospace and defense industry, announced a cooperation agreement that will create a center of excellence in unmanned aerial systems.

The application of artificial intelligence for autonomous decision-making of unmanned vehicles, the successful premiere at the European competition of UGVs of NATO countries or the overlap of AI technologies into other domains. Not only about this, Tomáš Krivda, head of autonomous software development at LPP Soft, spoke on Czech Television’s Byznys 24.

The company LPP Soft utilizing artificial intelligence from the L.P.P. Holding, a.s. in cooperation with the state enterprise VOP Nový Jičín and universities – University of Defence and Czech Technical University, presented itself at the unofficial competition of autonomous ground vehicles (UGV) of NATO and European Union countries at the end of June in Läsne, Estonia.

Only one third of the expected twelve competitors, which the Ministry of Defence counted on in the open tender for assault vehicles for paratroopers in spring, remained. The manufacturers of these vehicles, preferably intended for special forces and airborne troops, from the United States and the United Kingdom, did not submit proposals in the end, even though their platforms have been deployed in combat operations for years. The reason for this, according to e15, is unclear or even unfulfillable requirements in the tender. They concern changes to important parameters, the number of weapon systems and also quality requirements.

The radar and radiolocator manufacturer T-CZ, based in Pardubice and belonging to the technological holding company LPP, has got a contract to deliver three Precision Approach Radar (PAR) systems to the military airports of the Hungarian Air Force. The value of the contract has not been disclosed by either party.

Artificial Intelligence will be capable of detecting potential device failure before it occurs. Military unmanned vehicles are learning to navigate in terrain, recognize faces, analyze videos, and identify suspicious behavior. Modern technologies are transforming many fields, including defense sector.

Former British Marine Nigel smirks mischievously. “I don’t want you to think I’m crazy. But now we’re going to drive a bit fast so you can see what this car is really capable of,” says the grizzled man with over twenty years of military experience, who now works as a test driver. And the five-ton armored behemoth rushes through the test track, reaching almost seventy kilometers per hour, overcoming various obstacles, with mud literally splashing into their eyes.

The state enterprise VOP will introduce the latest generation of a robot called Taros. It has been developed for demanding military operations and falls into the category of unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). The state enterprise is collaborating with the Czech company LPP and the University of Defense in Brno (UNOB) on this advanced project.

The Indian army, which is the fourth largest in the world, has selected Czech radars in an international tender. The Pardubice-based company T-CZ, controlled by the technology holding L.P.P., together with its Indian partner Data Patterns, will supply an additional eight radar systems to the Indian Air Force and Navy.

L.P.P. holding a.s. is a group of companies combining expertise in the fields of development, production and integration within the military and civilian sectors. The holding’s companies are mainly active in sectors such as aviation, land systems, artificial intelligence, engineering or railway communication.

Due to the war, a well-known production of weapon thermal imaging sights and cameras had to cease in Ukraine. Archer Company found refuge in the Czech Republic, and thanks to their Czech partner, production has restarted. The entire production is destined for Ukraine.

Last year, the Czech company T-CZ completed the first part of the delivery of 9 landing radars for the airports of the Indian navy and air force. The radar manufacturer from Pardubice is executing the contract in cooperation with its Indian partner Data Patterns, to whom it supplied key components, software, and technical know-how.

L.P.P. Holding has become the new and sole shareholder of T-CZ, a manufacturer of radiolocation and radiocommunication devices. L.P.P. Holding develops and manufactures avionic equipment, such as for the new L-39NG Aero Vodochody jet aircraft. T-CZ, a company focused on radio stations primarily for rail vehicles and radar systems, emerged after the dissolution of Tesla Pardubice, the former producer of the once-feared passive tracking system Tamara.

The Army is gradually equipping the four most important military airports in the country with modern technologies, with a total investment of 160 million Czech crowns. After Náměšť nad Oslavou, they have now put into operation a new Instrument Landing System for aircraft guidance in Čáslav, in cooperation with the Czech company L.P.P. holding a.s. and the South Korean company Mopiens.

The production of the Aero Vodochody L-39NG aircraft requires approximately 14,000 components. Aero is capable of producing over half of them in their own facilities. Components for the advanced jet trainer from Czech production are supplied by a total of 300 Czech and foreign companies. Approximately 60% of the suppliers are companies from the Czech Republic. Serial production with high added value presents an opportunity for other domestic representatives, not only in the aviation industry.

The Czech Republic’s Army is innovating its technologies, including a system for safe and precise aircraft approach to airports under challenging weather conditions or at night. The new technology is now operational at the 22nd Helicopter Air Base in Náměšť nad Oslavou/Vícenice, and it is expected to start operating at the 21st Tactical Air Base in Čáslav in the autumn. Next year, the ILS/DME system will also be implemented at the Pardubice and Kbely airports. This enhances the safety of pilots and personnel while reducing the risk of accidents.

Czech military airports will receive a new system that ensures reliable and safe instrument approach for aircraft landing. The new system by the Korean company Mopiens will replace outdated Normarc systems that have been in operation since 2000. It is a ground-based radionavigation device that enables aircraft to make a safe final instrument approach to land, day and night, in normal or difficult weather conditions, to a distance and altitude from the runway at which the pilot can safely complete the approach or abort the landing manoeuvre.

The quartet of Czech military airports – Čáslav, Náměšť nad Oslavou, Prague Kbely, and Pardubice – will undergo significant modernization and enhancement of safety standards. A state-of-the-art Instrument Landing System (ILS) from the South Korean company MOPIENS will be installed here to replace the existing outdated equipment.