Slovakia is considering the possibility of transferring MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine. The process of preparing the transfer of aircraft may begin in the near future.

Rastislav Kacher, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, said this in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, European Pravda writes.

“We have not yet handed you the MiG-29, but we are ready to do so. We are talking with our NATO partners about how to do it,” he said.

Kacher also said that this was discussed during the meeting of the Slovak delegation with the President of Ukraine the day before on Thursday.

“Our defense minister explained to your president how it can be done. And, I think, in the coming weeks, a Ukrainian delegation will arrive in Slovakia and we, together with our American friends, will work to make it a reality… I am very optimistic about this, I think it will happen soon and the planes will be in Ukraine,” Rastislav Kacher said.

Kacher did not disclose the details of the discussions so as not to harm the process.

Information about the alleged transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine by Slovakia first appeared in the summer. At that time, the Minister of Defense of the country, Jaroslav Naď, said that the transfer of aircraft to Ukraine could not be decided only by Slovakia, but required agreement with partners.

It was also noted that Bratislava had to receive replacement equipment. At the same time, Slovakia is decommissioning its MiG-29.

MiG-29 of Slovakia

The Slovak MiG-29 fleet consists of 11 aircraft: 9 MiG-29AS and 2 MiG-29UBS.

The MiG-29AS is an upgrade of the MiG-29A (export simplified version of the Soviet fighter for Warsaw Pact countries) to the MiG-29SD variant.

During modernization in the 2000s, the aircraft received new opportunities for refueling in the air. Western navigation and radio communication devices were also installed. The key improvement is a new radar, which allows the use of missiles with thermal and radar homing heads.

F-16 for Slovakia

The Slovak government signed a contract with the US to purchase 14 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70/72 multi-role combat aircraft for €1.58 billion in December 2018. The contract provides for the training of 22 pilots and 160 ground service officers and soldiers.

Since September, Polish F-16s have already begun to protect Slovakia’s airspace. Czech aviation will work together with them.