Slovak Defense Ministry Signs Deal For Supply Of F-16 Fighter Jets From US -Prime Minister

Slovak Defense Ministry Signs Deal for Supply of F-16 Fighter Jets From US -Prime Minister

Slovak Defense Minister Peter Gajdos and the vice president of US firm Lockheed Martin, Ana Wugofski, on Wednesday signed an agreement for the supply of F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets to the Slovak Republic, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said.

PRAGUE (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th December, 2018) Slovak Defense Minister Peter Gajdos and the vice president of US firm Lockheed Martin, Ana Wugofski, on Wednesday signed an agreement for the supply of F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets to the Slovak Republic, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said.

"We have completed the registration procedure for the purchase of new fighter jets. Slovakia will stop guarding its airspace with [Russian] MiG-29 jets and will purchase the most advanced version of F-16 aircraft. Documents were signed. The Defense Ministry will receive 12 single-seat and two two-seat [aircraft], the last will be used for training," Pelligrini told reporters in a televised statement.

Pellegrini noted that the purchase of fighters from the United States was a significant achievement, stressing that the total investment amounted to more than 1.6 billion Euros ($1.8 billion).

"Thus, Slovakia confirms its obligations to gradually increase defense spending in order to achieve the amount 2 percent of GDP [on defense] required in NATO," the premier added.

According to Gajdos, Slovakia will receive from the US manufacturer the first 4 fighter aircraft until 2022, and the remaining 10 aircraft in 2023. Pilots and military personnel will be trained to serve new jets in the United States. The agreement also includes the service of the aircraft and the possibility to complain on its quality within two years after receipt, Gajdos said.

In 2015, Russia and Slovakia signed a deal on maintenance of Slovakia's MiG-29 aircraft until November 2019. An aircraft repair plant in the Trencin city in Western Slovakia later modernized these aircraft and extended their flight life. Regular maintenance service of these fighters by Russia costs Slovakia 50 million euros ($60 million) per year.