The first parts of the Israeli-made Spider air defense system were delivered to the Military Technical Institute (VTÚ) of the Czech Republic. This delivery is the result of a contract between the Czech Republic and the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, signed on September 27, 2021, worth approximately $627 million.

The acquisition of new air defense systems is part of the Czech Army's efforts to replace the aging Soviet 2K12 (NATO reporting name SA-6 Gainful) systems. According to the agreement, the Czech Republic will receive four Spider batteries between 2024 and 2026, each of which will consist of 9-10 vehicles.

What is quite remarkable is that the Czech Republic plans to transfer the decommissioned 2K11 air defense systems to Ukraine, and although these systems are quite old, they may be of significant interest to the enemy as a means of combating drones.