Nichols Martin
Slovakia’s defense ministry has announced it is examining Lockheed Martin‘s F-16 Fighting Falcon and Saab‘s JAS-39 Gripen as two options to replace the current MiG-29 fighter aircraft platform of the Slovak military.
The ministry said Friday it aims to complete an analysis of both U.S. and Swedish aircraft offerings for submission to the Slovak government by June 29.
Slovak Defense Minister Peter Gajdos is expected to submit the document that will contain details about acquisition, operation and support infrastructure costs of the fighters being considered for purchase.
Reuters reported Friday that a Russian company is contracted to maintain Slovakia’s fleet of 12 MiG-29s until the autumn of 2019.
The report said the Slovak government looks to invest $8.11 billion in military modernization programs through 2030.
