President: Arrival of F-16 Fighters Important for Slovakia's Defence
The arrival of the first two Slovak F-16 fighter jets from the United States is important for Slovakia's defence, said Commander-in-Chief of the Slovak Armed Forces and President Peter Pellegrini at a ceremony that took place as the aircraft landed at Kuchyna military airbase on Monday.
Bratislava, July 23 (TASR) - The arrival of the first two Slovak F-16 fighter jets from the United States is important for Slovakia's defence, said Commander-in-Chief of the Slovak Armed Forces and President Peter Pellegrini at a ceremony that took place as the aircraft landed at Kuchyna military airbase (Bratislava region) on Monday (July 22).
The president said that the previous MiG-29 fighters were already reaching the end of their service life when the F-16s were purchased, adding that the bid from the USA was the most advantageous. According to Pellegrini, the new fighters will also entail better cooperation between partners in NATO.
Pellegrini stated that protecting Slovak skies is also a matter of pride and a sign of sovereignty. "We are grateful that we were able to rely on the aircraft of our Czech, Hungarian and Polish friends in case of emergency," said the president.
The ceremony was also attended by Vice-premier and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD), who highlighted that Slovakia can once again start building sovereign protection of its airspace for the first time in two years. He thanked the pilots and technicians who underwent the necessary training. "You are getting state-of-the-art equipment, and I hope that you will take good care of it and that it serves you well," he said. The minister pointed out that the premises for the fighters, technicians and crew were built in eight weeks.
Following his speech, the Slovak side ceremonially took over the keys of the fighters.
US Ambassador to Slovakia Guatam Rana stated that the F-16s will help Slovakia to defend its airspace. He also noted that Ukraine is facing an attack by Russia, and so it was important to strengthen Slovakia's defences. "These fighters make Slovakia a stronger country and strengthen NATO as well," said Rana, thanking state representatives for the fact that Slovakia is more firmly anchored in Western structures.
The first two Slovak F-16s landed at Kuchyna military airbase on Monday evening. They are the first two of 14 aircraft ordered in 2018.
The contract for 14 US-made F-16 C/D Block 70 fighters was concluded in late 2018, with the delivery of the aircraft delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
