Mongolia signs memorandum on Czech L 410 NG aircraft, eyes L-39 Skyfox jets

Mongolia's Defence Ministry has signed a memorandum with the Czech Omnipol Group on the planned purchase of one L 410 NG transport aircraft, and its air force is also interested in the L-39 Skyfox jet trainer, Czech and international defence media reported.

What the memorandum covers

According to European Defence Review, Jiří Podpěra of Omnipol Defence and a representative of Mongolia's Defence Ministry signed the memorandum on October 21 during the Future Forces Forum in Prague. The Mongolian side agreed to include the purchase of the L 410 NG in its budget for the last quarter of 2026. Omnipol also agreed to take part in modernising Mongolia's civil and military airports.

Czech newspaper Armádní noviny noted that the memorandum is not a binding purchase contract, but it is a concrete step toward acquiring the aircraft. No price or delivery date has been made public.

The L 410 NG

The twin-engine turboprop L 410 NG is built by Aircraft Industries, a member of the Omnipol Group. It carries passengers and cargo and can take off and land on short and unpaved runways. Mongolia has never operated an aircraft from the L 410 family and has relied mainly on the Chinese Harbin Y-12 for light aviation.

Interest in the L-39 Skyfox

Representatives of Mongolia's air force held several consultations on Aero Vodochody's L-39 Skyfox trainer and light combat jet at the Prague exhibition, but have not disclosed the size of a possible order, its timing or its cost, Militarnyi reported. Mongolia's combat jet fleet currently consists of six two-seat MiG-29UB fighters received from Russia as military aid between 2019 and 2021.

As Zogii.mn noted, Skyfox jets would let Mongolia expand pilot training without burning large amounts of fuel on the costly MiG-29UBs, and the aircraft can also fly light strike and patrol missions. The manufacturer also offers the Skyfox in a "Drone Hunter" anti-drone configuration.

The story was widely shared by Mongolian users on X.