Pitfalls of Army Reform: Officer Screening, Air Force Future

This document, a 1990 JPRS report titled 'Birds of Steel' by Jaroslav Spurny, provides an analysis of the state of the Czechoslovak Air Force during a period of significant political and military transition. The author highlights that Czechoslovakia maintains a high per capita number of warplanes, which imposes a heavy financial burden on the state. The report critiques the current military structure, noting that the Air Force is expensive to maintain and that the distribution of its 22 airfields is unbalanced, with a concentration in Slovakia that is viewed as a legacy of previous strategic orientations. The author discusses the challenges of modernization, specifically the reliance on Soviet equipment like the MiG-29, and suggests that as Czechoslovakia considers its future relationship with the Warsaw Pact, it may need to look toward Western military equipment. Furthermore, the report addresses the vulnerability of the Air Force, arguing that its current configuration would be insufficient in a local conflict against a better-equipped adversary. It suggests that the force will likely be reduced by half to align with the capabilities of nations like Belgium. The document also touches upon the internal political challenges within the military, including the vetting of generals and the high cost of pilot training. Notably, the report mentions that the MiG-29 has 'practically no civilian use' except for the investigation of 'unidentified flying objects,' a brief reference indicating the aircraft's potential utility in specialized aerial monitoring.