Why is Yerevan buying the aircraft that Babiš offered to Azerbaijan?

In the latest edition of "Military Chronicle," the new generation L-39 Skyfox aircraft that Armenia is preparing to acquire from the Czech Republic have been analyzed, along with their differences from the previous L-39 Albatros model and their potential impact on Armenia's military aviation capabilities.

As reported by Baku TV, the visit of Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan to the Czech Republic and his statement about Yerevan's upcoming acquisition of new generation Czech-manufactured aircraft have attracted close attention from both the media and industry experts. Notably, the aircraft mentioned by the Armenian minister are the same model that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš offered to Baku in April 2026.

It should be noted that information about an order for four L-39 Skyfox aircraft for Armenia emerged back in September. The basis was the visit of Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan to the Aero Vodochody enterprise in the Czech Republic, where he familiarized himself with the L-39 Skyfox aircraft. However, the buyer was not named at the time, and Papikyan's latest publication served as a sort of official confirmation of this information.

According to experts, it is not just about the number of aircraft being acquired. This step demonstrates Armenia's aspiration to transition from the outdated Soviet aviation training system to modern digital technologies, to enhance pilot qualification levels, and to strengthen personnel capabilities for the development of combat aviation in the future.

Until now, Armenia, like Azerbaijan, has used the previous generation L-39 Albatros aircraft for training purposes. These aircraft, developed in Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s, were designed to train future military pilots in operating jet aircraft, mastering complex flight modes, and performing basic tactical tasks.

So what advantages do the L-39 Skyfox aircraft have compared to the previous model, and what are the goals of Armenia's acquisition?