The jet trainer most famous for teaching pilots to fly fast is learning a new trade: hunting drones. Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody and Thales Belgium announced on 5 October 2026 that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the counter-drone capabilities of the L-39 Skyfox, centred on Thales’ 70 mm laser-guided rockets.

For anyone who has flown an L-39 Albatros, the Skyfox is its thoroughly modern grandchild. And the idea behind the Drone Hunter is simple: a cheap, agile jet with cheap, precise rockets is a far better match for an inexpensive drone than a fighter firing a missile worth many times more.

What the Two Companies Agreed

Under the agreement, Aero and Thales Belgium will work together on the continued integration and testing of Thales’ 70 mm rocket system on the Skyfox. The configuration pairs Thales FZ800 seven-round rocket pods with FZ275 laser-guided rockets, while a SiNAB Phoenix targeting pod provides the laser designation. The word “continued” in the announcement suggests that some integration work has already been done.

The FZ275 is a semi-active laser-guided 70 mm rocket. The pilot or the targeting pod keeps a laser spot on the target and the rocket steers itself onto it, at ranges AeroTime puts at between 1.5 and 7 kilometres. Thales also unveiled a proximity-fuzed variant, the LGR275 Proxy, at Eurosatory 2026, which is the kind of warhead you want against a small drone that a direct hit might miss.

From Trainer to Drone Hunter

The L-39 Skyfox began life as the L-39NG, announced in 2014 and renamed Skyfox in October 2024 as it entered serial production. It keeps the classic L-39 layout but replaces almost everything inside, from the Williams FJ44-4M turbofan to a digital glass cockpit. Customers so far include Vietnam, Hungary and the Czech Republic, where the state-owned LOM Praha flies it for pilot training.

Aero first showed the armed counter-drone version at the Dubai Airshow in November 2025, then presented the Skyfox Drone Hunter to the public at NATO Days in Ostrava on 19 September 2026. No customer for the Drone Hunter has been announced yet.

Why a Jet Trainer Makes Sense Against Drones

The war in Ukraine has shown how hard it is to stop large numbers of one-way attack drones without running out of expensive missiles. Fighters can do it, but every sortie costs a fortune. A light jet like the Skyfox is far cheaper to fly than a frontline fighter, and much faster than a helicopter.

Laser-guided rockets close the loop on cost. They are a fraction of the price of an air-to-air missile, and a single pod carries seven of them. If the Thales partnership produces a qualified, ready-to-buy package, the Skyfox could find a second market well beyond the training schools it was designed for.

Sources: The Aviationist, AeroTime, The Defense News, Aero Vodochody, Wikipedia