The first of 14 new F-16 fighter jets from the US land in Slovakia

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia received on Monday the first two of the 14 new F-16 military jets from the United States whose delivery was pushed back two years due to the coronavirus pandemic and a lack of chips.

President Peter Pellegrini hailed the arrival of the F-16s at the Kuchyna air base in western Slovakia late Monday by saying the F-16s will “significantly contribute to the increase of defense capabilities of our country.”

The rest of the jets will be gradually delivered in two years.

Pellegrini was the prime minister in 2018 when the government signed the $1.8 billion deal to purchase 14 U.S. F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets in a move meant to replace the obsolete Soviet-made MiG-29 jets.

Under the previous government, Slovakia grounded its MiGs in the summer of 2022 due to a lack of spare parts and expertise to help maintain them after Russian technicians returned home following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Last year, the government approved a plan to give Ukraine its fleet of 13 MiG-29s, becoming the second NATO member country to heed the Ukrainian government’s pleas for warplanes to help defend against Russia’s invasion.

In the absence of its own aircraft, fellow NATO members Poland, the Czech Republic and later also Hungary have stepped in to guard Slovak air space.

The new government led by populist Prime Minister Robert Fico came to power last year after winning the parliamentary election following campaigning on an anti-American platform. It has condemned the donation of the jets to Ukraine and has threatened to sue.

Fico opposes military support for Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia. Pellegrini’s his close ally.

斯洛伐克布拉迪斯拉发——由于新冠疫情和芯片短缺，斯洛伐克周一从美国接收了14架新型F-16军用飞机中的前两架，这批飞机的交付被推迟了两年。

斯洛伐克总统彼得·佩莱格里尼周一晚些时候对F-16战机抵达斯洛伐克西部库奇纳空军基地表示欢迎，称F-16战机将“显著提升我国的国防能力”。

其余飞机将在两年内陆续交付。

2018 年，佩莱格里尼担任总理期间，政府签署了一项价值 18 亿美元的协议，购买 14 架美国 F-16 Block 70/72 战斗机，旨在取代过时的苏联制造的米格-29 战斗机。

在前任政府的领导下，由于俄罗斯入侵乌克兰后，俄罗斯技术人员返回国内，导致斯洛伐克缺乏备件和专业知识来维护米格战机，因此在 2022 年夏天，斯洛伐克停飞了米格战机。

去年，乌克兰政府批准了一项计划，将该国的 13 架米格-29 战斗机移交给乌克兰，成为第二个响应乌克兰政府请求，向其提供战机以帮助抵御俄罗斯入侵的北约成员国。

由于斯洛伐克自身没有飞机，北约成员国波兰、捷克共和国以及后来的匈牙利都介入保卫斯洛伐克领空。

由民粹主义总理罗伯特·菲佐领导的新政府去年在议会选举中获胜上台，其竞选纲领以反美为核心。该政府谴责向乌克兰捐赠战机，并威胁要提起诉讼。

菲佐反对向乌克兰提供军事支持，也反对欧盟对俄罗斯实施制裁。佩莱格里尼是他的亲密盟友。