Thursday 12 December, 2024

Czech Air Force to protect Slovak skies amid MiG transfer to Ukraine

A deployment of Czech Air Force fighter aircraft will be approved to guard the airspace of fellow NATO member Slovakia, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on 3 July.

“We will help Slovakia until it has new planes at its disposal,” Fiala said during a Czech television debate with Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger. “The government will certainly approve it.”

The move allows Slovakia to transfer its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Slovakia had earlier asked NATO allies to patrol its skies after it decided to ground its own fleet of Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets before sending the MiGs to Ukraine to help Kyiv in its battle against Russian forces.

Slovakia ordered 14 F-16 fighters from the United States in 2018 to replace its ageing MiG fleet. The first F-16s were scheduled to arrive this year however, the delivery has been pushed back until 2024.

The Czech Republic will send fighter jets to protect Slovakia’s airspace starting in September.

Neil Ritchie
Neil Ritchie
Neil Ritchie is the founder and editor of DefenceToday.com. Neil has a keen interest in the UK armed forces and national security issues as well as global defence procurement and cyber security matters. He also researches and writes about military history.

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