The first two new F-16 Block 70 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin have arrived in Slovakia.

The company’s press service announced this.

On Monday evening, July 23, the fighters landed at the Malacky air base in the west of the country.

Slovakian President Peter Pellegrini welcomed their arrival and noted that the F-16s would significantly contribute to the country’s defense capabilities.

Photos and videos of the arrival of the new fighter jets, manufactured in the United States, were posted on social media.

In total, the Slovak Air Force will receive 14 F-16V combat aircraft in the Block 70 configuration to replace obsolete MiG-29 fighter jets.

The agreement to purchase the aircraft from Lockheed Martin, worth EUR 1.58 billion, was signed in December 2018.

The contract also provides for the training of 22 pilots and 160 officers and soldiers on the ground services.

The production of the contracted number of fighters is expected to last until 2025, which will provide Slovakia with better air defense capabilities as soon as possible, as well as for participation in international operations led by NATO.

As a reminder, the first F-16 for the Slovak Air Force passed its first flight test at the end of September 2023.

The first two fighter jets were handed over to the Slovak Air Force in January of this year. However, the planes remained in the United States, where they were trained by Slovak pilots.

The first Slovak to fly an F-16 was Nadporuchik (Senior Lieutenant – ed.) Lukáš Kudela. He took to the skies on this type of aircraft in April 2023.