MOD Signs Technical Arrangements for Procurement of U.S. F-16 Fighter Jets
This includes three separate Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs), which are instrumental in effecting the performance of the agreement via the U.S. Governmentʼs Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, and covers the procurement of 14 U.S. F-16 aircraft, aerial munitions, logistics support, and flying and ground personnel training.
All fighter jets are due to be delivered by the end of 2023.
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Hours after the above statement was released, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini issued a statement saying that the contracts were invalid because they had not been approved by the finance ministry, AFP reported from Bratislava late on Nov. 30.
The issue is apparently tied to squabbling between two parties of Slovakia’s governing coalition. The defense ministry is run by Peter Gajdos from the hard-right Slovak National Party (SNS), a junior coalition partner to Pellegrini's populist left SD-Smer Social Democracy.
However, these differences are expected to be resolved without affecting the LOAs.
According to AFP, the value of the purchase is 1.58 billion euros, substantially less than the original plan notified to the US Congress in April (see following item).
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(Source: Defense Security Cooperation Agency; issued Apr. 4, 2018)
The Slovak Republic has requested a possible sale of fourteen (14) F-16 Block 70/72 V configuration aircraft; up to sixteen (16) F-16 F110 General Electric or F100 Pratt & Whitney engines (MDE); fifteen (15) M61 A1 Vulcan 20mm Guns (MDE); sixteen (16) APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radars (MDE); fourteen (14) Modular Mission Computers (MDE); fourteen (14) LINK-16 (MIDS-JTRS) secure communication systems (MDE); sixteen (16) LN260 EGI Embedded Global Positioning System Inertial Navigation Systems (EGI) (MDE); fourteen (14) Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (MDE); fourteen (14) Improved Programmable Display Generators (iPDGs) (MDE);
-- thirty (30) AIM-120C7 air-to-air missiles,
-- one hundred (100) AIM-9X air-to air missiles;
-- twelve (12) AIM-9X Captive Air Training Missiles,
-- two (2) AIM-120C7,
-- twenty-four (24) AIM-9X additional guidance units;
-- two hundred twenty-four (224) each Computer Control Groups and Airfoil Groups for GBU-12 Paveway II 5001b Guided Bomb Kits;
-- twenty (20) Enhanced Computer Control Groups for Enhanced Paveway II (GBU-49);
-- one hundred fifty (150) KMU-572F/B Guidance Kits for Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) 5001b Guided Bomb (GBU-38);
-- sixty (60) LAU-129 Guided – Missile Launchers;
-- thirty-six (36) MK-82 or BLU-111 500 lb Inert Fill Bomb;
-- four hundred (400) MK-82 or BLU-111 500 lb Bomb Bodies;
-- four hundred (400) FMU-152 Joint Programmable Fuzes; and
-- six (6) AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Pods.
Also included are fourteen (14) Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System II; fourteen (14) AN/ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management Systems; sixteen (16) AN/ALQ-211 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare Suites; sixteen (16) AN/ALE-47 Countermeasure Dispensers; Advanced Identification Friend or Foe (AIFF), Secure Communications and Cryptographic Appliques; Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS); ground training device (flight simulator); Electronic Combat International Security Assistance Program (ECISAP) support; software and support; facilities and construction support; spares and repair/replace parts; personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation; missile containers; DSU-38A/B Illuminated Target Detector (GBU-54); munition support and test equipment; aircraft and munition integration and test support; studies and surveys; U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering and logistical support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated total cost is $2.91 billion.
This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a NATO partner that is an important force for ensuring peace and stability in Europe. The proposed sale will support Slovakia’s needs for its own self-defense and support NATO defense goals. Slovakia intends to use these F-16s to modernize its Air Force and strengthen its homeland defense.
Slovakia intends for these aircraft to replace its current fleet of MiG-29s. Slovakia's current fighters are not interoperable with U.S forces or regional allies. Purchase of the F-16V will provide Slovakia with fourth generation fighter aircraft capability that is interoperable with the United States and NATO.
The proposed sale of new F-l 6V's to Slovakia will not impact the regional balance of power.
The prime contractor will be Lockheed Martin, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. There are no known offset agreements in conjunction with this sale, however, we expect Slovakia to request some amount of industrial participation. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.
Implementation of this proposed sale may require assignment of a small number of U.S. Government representatives (less than 10) and a modest number of contractor representatives (less than 50) to Slovakia. It is likely that no permanent U.S. persons will actually be required in country.
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.
This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.
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