The Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic reports it will soon prepare an international tender for 3D mobile air defense radars.

Acquisition of the radars is part of a modernization process for the country, and in the first phase of the project five radar systems will be procured.

The radars will replace the obsolete Soviet-design technology still in the inventory.

"With a view to the centrality of the order for national defense, the supplier will be required to be solidly embedded in the Czech Republic," the Ministry of Defense said. "The ministry will therefore insist on engaging the domestic defense industry."

The contract for the radars is estimated at about $68 million.

The ministry said radar specifications were decided earlier this year in talks with other Visegrad Four countries. Each will acquire systems based on the same specifications but the quantities and time frames for acquisition would be up to each member.

The Visegrad Four are the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. The alliance was formed to further cooperation in the military, economic and energy fields.