Slovakia Receives First Batch of Advanced Block 70 F-16s

Lockheed Martin has formally delivered the first two of 14 F-16 Block 70 Fighting Falcon fourth generation fighter jets to Slovakia.

The manufacturer announced the deliveries in a statement in which an executive noted that the move marks a “crucial starting point in bolstering the country’s defense capabilities.”

The first tranche of aircraft will not arrive in country until mid-2024, and all deliveries are set to run through 2025.

Slovakia, which shares its eastern border with Ukraine, is set to become the first European operator of the Block 70 configured jets, initially agreeing to the 14 aircraft order for €1.58 billion ($1.8 billion) in December 2018. Lockheed originally rolled out the first Slovak F-16 Block 70 jet from Greenville in September 2023.

Lockheed Martin added that it has 135 of the Block 70 aircraft on backlog, which it expects to increase by eight units once a Bulgarian order has been agreed. Production of Bulgarian aircraft, based on an original order for eight aircraft is underway, with deliveries expected to begin in the last quarter of 2024. Bahrain got its first Block 70 last March 2023.

The Block 70 fighter jets are integrated with Northrop Grumman’s advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and a high resolution Center Pedestal Display.

Foreign customers have been hungry for the Block 70 jets, particularly in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as in response to the growing threat posed by China. Buyers like Taiwan have seen the schedule for their Block 70 F-16s slip, prompting congressional outcry and calls to speed up deliveries to the island nation.