First of 14 new US F-16 fighter jets lands in Slovakia

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia on Monday received the first two of 14 new F-16 military jets from the United States, whose delivery was delayed by two years due to the coronavirus pandemic and a shortage of chips.

President Peter Pellegrini welcomed the arrival of the F-16s at the Kuchyna air base in western Slovakia on Monday evening, saying the F-16s “will contribute significantly to increasing our country’s defense capabilities.”

The rest of the jets will be delivered gradually over two years.

Pellegrini was prime minister in 2018 when the government signed a $1.8 billion deal to buy 14 U.S. F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets, intended to replace the obsolete Soviet-made MiG-29 jets.

Under the previous government, Slovakia grounded its MiGs in the summer of 2022 due to a lack of spare parts and expertise to help maintain them after Russian technicians returned to the country following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Last year, the government approved a plan to equip Ukraine with its fleet of 13 MiG-29s, becoming the second NATO member country to respond to the Ukrainian government’s request for warplanes to help defend against Russian invasion.

In the absence of their own aircraft, other NATO members Poland, the Czech Republic and later also Hungary intervened to monitor Slovak airspace.

The new government led by populist Prime Minister Robert Fico came to power last year after winning parliamentary elections on an anti-American campaign. He has condemned the plane donation to Ukraine and threatened to sue.

Fico opposes military aid to Ukraine and EU sanctions against Russia. Pellegrini is his close ally.