The Aero L-159 ALCA is a subsonic light combat aircraft and advanced trainer developed in the single-seat L-159A and two-seat L-159B versions respectively, produced in the Czech Republic by Aero Vodochody. It was derived from the Aero L-59 Super Albatros trainer, which was in turn developed from the Aero L-39 Albatros series. Development of the L-159 started in 1993 as an initiative to replace various Soviet-era fighter aircraft with a modern Czech-built equivalent; it was decided against pursuing a clean-sheet design to avoid excessive costs. Development was supported by the Czech government, which ordered 72 L-159A single-seat aircraft for roughly 50 billion CZK to equip the Czech Air Force. In 1998, the Boeing Company became a strategic partner in both the project and Aero Vodochody itself. On 4 August 1997, the L-159 performed its maiden flight; on 10 April 2000, the first production aircraft was delivered to the Czech Air Force. Further development of the type proceeded, particularly of the twin-seat L-159 models. In 2003, the Czech fleet of 72 L-159A aircraft was reduced to 24 due to budget constraints. Following several years of storage, the Czech government has re-sold most of the redundant aircraft to both military and civilian operators, namely the Iraqi Air Force and Draken International. The L-159 has seen active combat use by the Iraqi Air Force against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) insurgents in the country. In Draken's service, the L-159 (colloquially known as "Honey Badger") has been employed as an aggressor aircraft for pilot training. Since 2007, six L-159A aircraft have been rebuilt into T1 trainer derivatives. During 2017, Aero Vodochody formally restarted production of the type, and unveiled a newly built L-159T1 for the Iraqi Air Force; furthermore, the Czech Air Force was in the process of acquiring L-159T2 two-seaters. Development Immediately after the 1989 Velvet Revolution, the president of Czechoslovakia Václav Havel declared a demobilisation of the Czechoslovak defence industry. Nevertheless, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Czech company Aero Vodochody continued developing the basic L-39 Albatros design with a view toward greater export. The resulting L-39MS, later designed as L-59 Super Albatros, featured a more powerful turbofan engine, advanced avionics, and has been bought in quantity by Egypt and Tunisia. In 1993, a group of Czech military experts launched a project to produce a modern domestic fighter to replace the obsolete Soviet aircraft. Since