JAS 39-C GRIPEN (source: Sme )
The Defence Ministry has officially launched talks with Sweden about renting flight hours, said Defence Minister Martin Glváč after his meeting with his Swedish counterpart Petr Hultqvist on the same day.
“I would call this day a milestone in negotiations on the technical, legislative and financial options for carrying out this project,” said Glváč,
He added that Sweden offered the most well-balanced variant in the form of flight hours rental, other alternatives are still in the frame, however.
Details of the cost of potential flight hours rental and the number of Gripen jet fighters used in Slovakia remain to be worked out, with specific figures set to emerge from the talks.
“The price shouldn’t be significantly higher than what we pay today for operating our current aircraft,” said Glváč. The air force needs approximately 1,200 flight hours per year to carry out its tasks.
The Slovak Army currently has Mig-29 jet fighters at its disposal, the contract for which will expire in 2016. According to Glváč, Slovakia cannot afford to purchase new fighter jets.
The Czech Republic is also renting Gripen aircraft from Sweden, and so the two countries could engage in joint defence of Czech-Slovak airspace.
In August 2014 the state secretaries of the Defence Ministries of Slovakia and the Czech Republic along with their counterparts from Sweden signed a Declaration on Trilateral Cooperation in the field of multipurpose tactical aircraft.
The Defence Ministry has officially launched talks with Sweden on renting flight hours, said Defence Minister Martin Glváč after his meeting with his Swedish counterpart Petr Hultqvist on the same day.
“I would call this day a milestone in negotiations on the technical, legislative and financial options for carrying out this project,” said Glváč,
He added that Sweden offered the most well-balanced variant in the form of flight hours rental, other alternatives are still in the frame, however.
Details of the cost of potential flight hours rental and the number of Gripen jet fighters used in Slovakia remain to be worked out, with specific figures set to emerge from the talks.
“The price shouldn’t be significantly higher than what we pay today for operating our current aircraft,” said Glváč. The air force needs approximately 1,200 flight hours per year to carry out its tasks.
The Slovak Army currently has Mig-29 jet fighters at its disposal, the contract for which will expire in 2016. According to Glváč, Slovakia cannot afford to purchase new fighter jets.
The Czech Republic is also renting Gripen aircraft from Sweden, and so the two countries could engage in joint defence of Czech-Slovak airspace.
In August 2014 the state secretaries of the Defence Ministries of Slovakia and the Czech Republic along with their counterparts from Sweden signed a Declaration on Trilateral Cooperation in the field of multipurpose tactical aircraft.
