Another two F-16 combat aircraft touch down at Kuchyňa Air Base
Ministry of Defence of The Slovak Republic
02.04.2025
Another two Lockheed Martin-built F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft touched down on the runway at Kuchyňa Air Base in the midday hours on Wednesday 2 April 2025. Their arrival brings the Slovak Air Force's fleet of F-16 fighter jets to five (5) of the fourteen (14) new aircraft on order from the United States.
Speaking on this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Robert Kaliňák said: "With the arrival of two more F-16 fighter jets, we are reinforcing the protection of Slovak skies. We believe we will soon take full responsibility for protecting our airspace."
Both aircraft were delivered by air in two stages: a trans-Atlantic flight from the United States to Morón Air Base in Spain before their arrival into Kuchyňa AB. These flights demonstrated the technical readiness of the aircraft. The aircraft are now undergoing certification and are getting ready for the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) mission to defend SVK airspace, due as early as the summer of 2025.
On the SVK F-16 pilots, both trained and in training, Chief of Defence General Daniel Zmeko said: "We now have seven fully trained pilots who have been involved in initial test and certification flights for the delivered F-16s. Another six pilots will complete their F-16 Qualification Training in the United States this year, and, along with skilled ground crew and technicians, will then begin executing assigned Flight Training (FT) and Air Operations (AO) missions."
The F-16 Block 70 tactical multi-role fighter jet, the most advanced variant of the family of combat aircraft, represents an effective air combat platform, the full use of which - including defending SVK airspace - will require a new doctrinal approach to the planning and command and control (C2) capability for SVK air operations.
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