On Monday, July 22, the first two F-16 fighter jets from USA landed at the military airport in Kuchyna, a village near Malacky. They are to replace the previous MiG-29 models that were about to reach the end of their service. These are the first two of 14 aircraft ordered in 2018, but due to the pandemic, the delivery was delayed. The ceremony held for this event was attended among others by the Commander-in-Chief of the Slovak Armed Forces and President Peter Pellegrini, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Robert Kaliňák and Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Daniel Zmeko. According to the President Peter Pellegrini, the arrival of F-16s is significant for the defense of the Slovak Republic and should ensure better cooperation among NATO partners. US Ambassador to Slovakia Guatam Rana said that strengthening Slovakia's defence is also important because of the Russian attacks on Ukraine. At the same time, the F-16 fighters are the first essential weapon that Slovakia could use to attack the enemy.
RTVS
