Slovakia offered US helicopters for giving jets
to Ukraine
By AP
March 24, 2023:
Information Clearing House
-- RATISLAVA,
Slovakia (AP) — The United States has offered
Slovakia 12 new military helicopters as
compensation for the MiG-29 fighter jets the
European country is
giving to Ukraine, Slovakia's defense
minister said Wednesday.
Under the offer, Slovakia would pay $340
million for the Bell AH-1Z attack choppers in a
deal worth about $1 billion that also includes
500 AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles and training,
Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said.
U.S. foreign military financing would cover
the other $660 million, he said. The European
Union also would send Slovakia 200 million euros
($213 million) in additional compensation, Nad
said.
The Slovak government still needs to accept
the offer.
Nad said his country’s armed forces currently
don’t have any combat helicopters and that the
deal would “significantly increase the defense
capability of Slovakia.”
On Friday, the Slovak government approved a
plan to give Ukraine
its fleet of 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets,
becoming the second NATO member country to heed
the Ukrainian government’s pleas for warplanes
to help
defend against Russia’s invasion.
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Slovakia grounded its MiGs in the summer due
to a lack of spare parts and expertise to help
maintain them. Fellow NATO members Poland and
the Czech Republic stepped in to monitor Slovak
air space.
Slovakia previously signed a deal to buy 14
U.S. F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets, but delivery
was pushed back two years with the first
aircraft to arrive in early 2024.
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