The recent proposal for the Czech defense budget, amounting to 155 billion korunas, has not satisfied supporters or opponents, particularly surrounding the purchase of American F-35 aircraft. Despite internal party resistance from Tomio Okamura's SPD, which has been vocally against the acquisition, the defense ministry led by Jaromír Zůna plans to allocate nearly five billion this year for the F-35 program. Notably, Zůna also aims to increase the defense budget by an additional 60 billion korunas by 2027, stirring surprise across both opposition parties and the Prime Minister.

In a recent statement, Radovan Vích, the Deputy Minister of Defense and overseer of Zůna’s work, communicated a need for further development of the military's infrastructure, stating that the army lacks adequate facilities in six regions. Vích pointed out that essential military training centers need to be established, suggesting that eliminating two pending payments for the F-35 could redirect funding to these critical developments. His comments highlight an ongoing debate on whether the Czech military can balance modern procurement with necessary capacity-building efforts.

As the budget proposal has developed, the previous sharp criticism from the SPD regarding the purchase of 24 F-35 aircraft appears to have softened significantly. The outlined budget indicates a commitment to procure these American jets, revealing a shift in the SPD’s rhetoric and prompting discussions about the implications of increased military spending in the Czech Republic amidst broader regional security concerns.