US defence prime Lockheed Martin has handed over the first two F-16 Block 70 multirole fighters to Slovakia at a ceremony at its Greenville facility on 29 February, 2024, with the aircraft set to remain in the US for maintenance training.
The ceremonial delivery of the aircraft, a single-seat C-model and a two-seat D-model, is a significant milestone in the planned acquisition of 14 F-16 fighters, with the first group of aircraft anticipated to arrive in Slovakia by mid-2024. Additional aircraft are scheduled for completion in 2025.
The replacement of the Air Force’s MiG-29 fleet with Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 fighters makes military-fixed wing Slovakia’s second largest defence procurement sector, according to GlobalData’s intelligence on the Slovakian defence market.
OJ Sanchez, general manager of the Integrated Fighter Group at Lockheed Martin, stated: “Slovakia is at the forefront of adopting Europe's most advanced 4th generation fighter, the F-16 Block 70.
“With 11 more Slovak F-16s under production and testing, we are committed to delivering a total of 14 state-of-the-art jets, further solidifying our partnership.”
The F-16 Block 70 jets are equipped with the Northrop Grumman APG-83 AESA Radar, improved avionics, an extended structural service life of 12,000 hours, and critical safety features like the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS).
Since its integration into the US Air Force in late 2014, the Auto GCAS has been recorded as contributed to saving 13 pilots across 12 F-16 incidents, according to Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin has a backlog of 133 F-16 Block 70/72 jets to be produced in Greenville, with seven total jets delivered to-date for international partners, the company stated.
In recent years, the US State Department has approved a Foreign Military Sale to the Philippines, allowing the Philippines to acquire F-16 Block 70/72 Aircraft. In a similar move, Jordan has joined the F-16 Block 70 programme by signing a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for purchasing eight new production F-16 Block 70 aircraft.
Additionally, the Royal Bahraini Air Force is set to acquire 16 F-16 Block 70 jets from the United States.
Additional reporting by Harry McNeil
