Slovakia receives first two F-16 fighter jets
**Slovakia received its first two F-16 fighter jets from US production. "The new F-16s will significantly improve the capabilities of our armed forces and enable us to effectively protect our country," explained the Defense Ministry in Bratislava. "These fighter jets make Slovakia a stronger country and strengthen NATO as well," said the US Ambassador in Slovakia, Gautam Rana.
The two fighter jets landed at the Military Airport Kuchyna in western Slovakia on a Monday evening. The arrival was delayed due to the Corona-Pandemic and a shortage of semiconductor chips by around two years. According to a 2018 closed contract, the delivery of 14 fighter jets to Slovakia is worth approximately 1.6 billion Euros.
With the largest military acquisition in the history of the country, the highly modern F-16 fighter jets are expected to replace the outdated fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets from Soviet production. Last year, Slovakia donated its outdated MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. With this, Slovakia, after Poland, became the second NATO member state to provide Kiev with fighter jets from Soviet production for defense against Moscow.**
The F-16 fighter jets, recently delivered to Slovakia, will operate from the Land of Slovakia, enhancing its defense capabilities significantly. The arrival of these advanced US-made jets at the Military Airport Kuchyna marks a significant step in modernizing Slovakia's military equipment.
