Nine helicopters for under €300 million, says Defence Minister

Slovakia is set to pay less than €300 million, which was the original funding framework, for nine U.S.-made military Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters, Defence Minister Martin Glváč said after a session of Parliament's defence and security committee on Tuesday. Speaking after the in-camera session, Glváč said that he's seeking to submit the respective documentation to the Slovak Security Council on January 28. According to the minister, the committee members who hail from the Opposition took no exception to the cost. "The price is a lot lower than what the media reported", said Glváč. The purchase is to be made through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) fund, which Glváč deemed to be quite possibly the most transparent way. Former defence minister (2010-11) Ľubomír Galko (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) highlighted an international tender as the better option for purchasing helicopters. "I'm 100-percent certain that only an international tender could produce the best offer for us", said Galko. Important, too, is whether or not the helicopters will be deployed in missions. "If that's not the case, then there's no use for such pricey helicopters. It only makes sense to buy such high-quality helicopters if they're used in missions", added Galko. Fellow former defence minister (2006) Martin Fedor (Independent) agreed with the need to replace Soviet Mi-17 helicopters. "It's debatable though whether the attitude chosen by the Government is optimal", he said, bemoaning the fact that there are no comparisons to be made - unlike when there is a tender. He noted that Slovakia can't act like wealthy sheiks who pick from shelves whatever they like best. "The Government's actions make it appear as though it were indeed able to act like that", Fedor added.