USA offers Slovakia Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters

Americans have offered to broker the sale of Sikorsky Black Hawk military helicopters to Slovakia via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) fund. "If the purchase via the US Fund is accepted in the EU, the deal would guarantee a lower price than the manufacturer would otherwise give to any other client," Defence Minister Glváč said at a press conference on Monday. US Ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Sedgwick explained that the potential purchase of helicopters has been under preparation for a long time. Minister Glváč underlined that it's only an offer at this stage, with other options still on the table. New helicopters are needed to replace the Soviet Mi-17s. The replacement is slated to occur within six years, with nine new machines due to be purchased in the first phase and the rest to be purchased and delivered gradually. Americans are offering UH-60 helicopters. According to Chief of the General Staff Milan Maxim, such procurement would make the Slovak army interoperable with NATO allies and enjoy lower operational costs. "It is specifically this type of helicopter that would be fully suitable for the tasks we need them for," said Maxim.