Business

Czech companies

Armament industry

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During the Cold War, the armament industry was one of the economy’s most developed industries. After the disintegration of the Soviet bloc and the Warsaw Pact, the production of arms was reduced. After the Czech Republic joined NATO and established a professional army, it was necessary to procure new arms systems.

photo: sxc.hu

Developing new weapons is a very demanding and costly activity, which the manufacturers are not able to do without secured and confirmed orders from branches of the military. In many cases, cooperation with foreign manufacturers is necessary.

Major Czech manufacturers of arms and armament systems include:

Aero Vodochody (Aero L- 159 ALCA) - http://www.aero.cz/

AERO Vodochody a.s. follows the tradition of AERO - aircraft factory, established in 1919. The main subject of enterprise of the company is: engineering, production, testing, repairs, overhauls and upgrades of training and combat military aircraft, aircraft parts and preparations, engineering and production of multipurpose transport aircraft, aerostructures, foreign trade with military material, operation of Private International Aerodrome and aircraft work. The military program covers development, production and marketing of the L159 Advanced Light Combat and Training Aircraft (L159 Combat & Training System).

ERA Pardubice (Passive Surveillance System VERA) - http://www.era.cz

ERA is a research and development company specializing in the development and manufacture of passive surveillance systems designed both for air traffic control and air defense applications. A significant part of its activities covers the development of special software, mainly for real-time radar data processing and display.

ERA was founded in 1994 as a new company built on the base of long-term successful research and the development of passive surveillance systems in the Czech Republic since the 1960s. ERA now employs more than 140 people, half of whom are engineers.

Passive Surveillance System VERAcan - under certain circumstainces - even see the American "invisible" airplane Stealth. If Stealth has its radar switched off, however, nothing - even VERA - can find it in the sky. But if the pilot explores his target by radar, VERA will detect it.

Manufacturer of ammunition Sellier & Bellot - http://www.sellier-bellot.cz/

Sellier & Bellot is among the oldest trademarks. It was listed in Prague in 1893 and also registered in Vienna and Berlin. This trademark covers the whole range of sporting and hunting ammunition and machinery and equipment for ammunition manufacture. The company owns 21 trademarks registered in 75 countries around the world. In the 1990s, the company was one of the world's leading manufacturers of handgun ammunition in terms of both volume and product range.

Sellier & Bellot, a joint-stock company, ranks among the leading engineering companies in the Czech Republic. Moreover, the company maintains significant positions on European and global markets, to where more than 70% of its production is exported. Sellier & Bellot products have always been noted for their high quality, precision, reliability and safety in use. They achieved outstanding succes in the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

In 1988, the company set up a permanent sporting and hunting marksmanship exhibition, which is located in the Museum at Chateau Vlašim. It is a unique exhibition of its kind.