US company Lockheed Martin announced on its website on Monday (15 December) that it's now completed the production of all F‑16 Block 70 aircraft intended for Slovakia and Bulgaria.
Slovakia signed a contract for 14 US-made F-16 C/D Block 70 fighters at the end of 2018 with the aim of modernising its air force and replacing then unused MiG-29 fighters, which, along with missile defence systems, were handed over to Ukraine after it was attacked by Russia.
The delivery of the fighters to Slovakia was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Slovak air force currently has seven of the ordered aircraft at its disposal, the first of which arrived at the military base in Kuchyna near Malacky (Bratislava region) last summer. The remaining aircraft should be delivered gradually until 2027.
"Full F-16 Block 70 fleets give Slovakia and Bulgaria the capability to provide national air defence and support NATO air policing with modern, fully interoperable fighter jets. The aircraft connect directly to NATO systems and support the same missions already flown by F-16 operators across Europe," reads a statement issued by Lockheed Martin on Monday.
Source: TASR
