Czechs, hosting shield, seek U.S. help with planes

By Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Czech Republic wants Washington's help to upgrade its military transport planes but denied it is seeking a bonus for hosting part of a U.S. missile shield that has fueled tensions with Russia.

As a NATO member with troops in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, the Czech Republic needs modern military transport to move its forces around, Deputy Foreign Minister Tomas Pojar said on Thursday after talks at the U.S. State Department.

"I think there is definite willingness on the U.S. side to help out with that problem because it is also in the interest of the U.S. that there are transport aircraft possibilities with the allies and on European soil," Pojar told reporters.

"We have never asked for any reward" for signing the deal in July to host a radar facility for the planned shield, he said.

The Bush administration wants a tracking radar system southwest of Prague as part of a plan to protect the United States and Europe against the perceived threat of missile attacks from countries such as Iran.

Moscow, at odds with Western governments over its invasion of Georgia, has said the plan is really aimed against Russia and that it would respond militarily to the deployment of U.S. missile interceptors close to its borders.

The Czech government signed the radar pact with the United States in July and, last month, Poland agreed to host 10 missile interceptors as part of the shield. The deals still must go through the parliaments of both countries.

Poland asked for, and got, U.S. agreement to base a battery of Patriot missiles on its soil. Some experts say the Patriots would provide protection against short-range ballistic missiles such as the SS-21 used by Russia in Georgia.

MONTHS BEFORE DECISION ON PLANES

Pojar said various types of aircraft, such as Lockheed Martin Corp's Hercules transport plane used by many countries, were being considered to upgrade the Czech Republic's military but that it would be months before a final decision is made.

He did not say how a deal would be financed.

He said Prague is still negotiating a status-of-forces agreement with Washington to cover the estimated 100 U.S. troops that will work at the radar base.

Pojar said it would likely be next year, after a new U.S. president takes office, before work starts on the radar's deployment, because the Czech parliament must first ratify the missile defense agreement.

"I hope that the ratification process can be finished by the end of this year," he said.

"We cannot move it faster than that," he said but added that he expected the next U.S. administration would stick to the agreement and deploy the radar.