Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer-SD) is expected to conclude the contracts with the US government by the end of the year needed for the production and delivery of additional F-16D Block 70 fighter jets. The government approved the procurement plan at its meeting on Wednesday.
The planned acquisition is linked to the changing security situation, including in the vicinity of Slovakia’s borders. “After assessing the risks, requirements and NATO’s needs, it is necessary to expand the fleet of F-16 C/D Block 70 aircraft so that the Slovak Armed Forces can carry out missions and training on their own territory while also providing support as part of European Union and NATO operations,” the Slovak Defence Ministry said.
The ministry recalled that Slovakia purchased its first 14 F-16 fighter jets in 2018, which was considered the minimum number needed to carry out NATINAMDS, air-to-air and air-to-ground missions on Slovak territory, with the possibility of participating in operations abroad as well. The newly acquired aircraft meet these standards, are fully interoperable with NATO countries and are appropriately equipped to meet NATO requirements for a modern tactical aircraft.
Slovakia therefore submitted a request to the US government last year to prepare an international agreement for the delivery of four additional fighter jets in the V4 configuration.
“The F-16 C/D Block 70 aircraft delivered under the existing international agreements are in the V3 configuration, which was the version offered when those agreements were being prepared and signed in 2018. Compared with V3, the V4 configuration features updated avionics and several systems that are now being produced to reflect technological advances since the original 2018 configuration,” the ministry explained.
Ten of the 14 aircraft were delivered to Slovakia by 2025, while four are being used for the training of Slovak flight personnel in the United States. Their training is expected to be completed and the aircraft brought to Slovakia in 2028.
“Based on a request from the Slovak Defence Ministry in 2025, the US government prepared an offer for the delivery of four additional F-16D Block 70 tactical aircraft,” the ministry said.
The Defence Ministry also says Slovakia needs to expand its air-to-ground capabilities by acquiring new types of ammunition that were not available when the original contract was prepared and have since either been cleared for foreign customers or completed their development.
By acquiring additional F-16s, targeting pods and new ammunition, the Slovak Air Force will have sufficient capacity to provide support to ground forces, conduct reconnaissance and train flight personnel without having to limit training in order to carry out operational missions, or vice versa, the ministry said.
“From the perspective of completing the Slovak Air Force’s capabilities and ensuring logistical and maintenance support, the most effective solution is to operate a single platform of tactical aircraft,” the ministry said.
It added that training for both flight and technical personnel would also be optimized. Operating a single type of aircraft is expected to increase the number of aircraft available for service, make modular components easier to interchange and reduce operating costs.
Kaliňák said payments for the F-16s would be spread out through 2030. “This is a longer-term project. These fighter jets aren’t arriving tomorrow, and we aren’t paying for them today,” he said.
According to the minister, part of the cost has already been prepaid as part of Slovakia’s broader cooperation with the United States, as Slovakia has received additional millions of euros from foreign assistance funds.
Kaliňák added that the F-16s were ordered at the request of the Slovak Armed Forces and that the new purchase would consist of four two-seat fighter jets intended primarily for air-to-ground missions.
Source: TASR
