After Bratislava delivered its decommissioned MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, the US offered to sell Slovakia 12 brand-new Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters at a two-thirds discount, according to Jaroslav Nad, Slovakia’s defense minister, on Wednesday.
Nad claimed that if the agreement were to be approved, his government would then pay $340 million over the course of three to four years for a package worth more than $1 billion.
Nad wrote on Facebook that the US Foreign Military Financing Program would pay for the remaining amount.
According to him, the transaction includes more than 500 AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles, spares, and training.
The potential for Slovakia’s defense will be greatly increased by this offer, according to Nad.
Nowadays, Slovakia, a NATO member on the eastern edge of the armed all. ianceno attack helicopters.
It retired its fleet of MiG jets last summer, relying on central European neighbors Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary for air defenseIt joined Poland as Ukraine’s second ally last week in supplying jets, which Kiev believes will be essential in rebuffing Russia’s protracted assault.
Part of Slovakia’s KUB air defense system will also be delivered.
Nad stated that Slovakia will also receive 250 million euros ($269 million) in compensation from the European Union in addition to the provision of US equipment.
Indirect compensation for the delayed delivery of F-16 fighter jets—which the nation ordered in 2018 and are now anticipated to arrive in 2024—as well as help from the neighboring country of Ukraine, according to Nad, were also factors in the helicopter proposal.
($1 = 0.9293 euros)
Jason Hovet reported from Prague; Andrew Heavens and Jason Neely edited the material.
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