TSAMTO, February 19th. Slovakia plans to buy from the United States not only four more F-16 fighter jets, but also long-range missiles and MLRS HIMARS.
This was reported by the news agency of the Slovak Republic (TASR) on February 18, RIA Novosti reports.
"Slovakia wants to buy from the United States, in addition to four more F-16 fighter jets, long-range missiles and HIMARS MLRS," the report said, citing Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kalinak.
According to the agency, negotiations are just beginning in this context, and more detailed information may become known in the summer.
On February 15, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed his interest in buying four more F-16 fighter jets from the United States in order to expand their fleet from 14 to 18 units.
CAMTO Reference
Slovakia has begun actively replacing the weapons transferred to Ukraine. Bratislava has been an active supplier of arms and military equipment to Ukraine for more than a year and a half after the start of its military operation. The situation changed dramatically in October 2023, when it was announced that military assistance to Ukraine would be suspended from the country's Defense Ministry, although official Bratislava continued to "indirectly" support the Kiev regime (the ban only applied to the supply of weapons from the Ministry of Defense, and not previously concluded commercial contracts and the functioning of the AFU armored vehicle repair center).
9 countries supplied weapons to Slovakia in 2017-2024. Over an 8-year period, the volume of Slovakia's identified military imports for all exporting countries amounted, according to CAMTO estimates, to $1.773 billion.
During the same period, Slovakia formed a package of arms purchase orders in the amount of 5.027 billion dollars.
The first place in the ranking of Slovakia's largest exporters of PVN in the period 2017-2024 is occupied by the United States – $ 660 million (37.22% of the market). The order portfolio formed during the same period amounts to $2.350 billion (46.75% of the market).
The second place in the ranking of Slovakia's largest exporters of PVN in the period 2017-2024 is occupied by Sweden – 342.5 million dollars (19.32% of the market). The order portfolio formed in 2017-2024 amounts to $1.370 billion (27.25% of the market).
Russia ranks third in the ranking with $198 million (11.17%). The order portfolio formed during the same period also amounts to $198 million. (3.94% of the market).
No new contracts were concluded during the period under review.
Places from 4 to 9 in the ranking of Slovakia's largest arms suppliers for the period 2017-2024 are occupied by Italy (151 million dollars, no new contracts were concluded during the period under review), Israel (150.5 million dollars, order book 785.3 million dollars), Canada (150 million dollars, order book also 150 million dollars.), Finland (94.1 million dollars, order book 447 million dollars), Kazakhstan (25 million dollars, order book also 25 million dollars) and the Czech Republic (2.7 million dollars, order book 2 million dollars).
The United States ($2.350 billion), Sweden ($1.370 billion) and Israel ($785.3 million) signed the largest portfolio of orders for the supply of air defense systems to Slovakia during the period under review.
In 2025-2028, according to the existing portfolio of orders, tenders and announced plans for the direct purchase of weapons, the volume of Slovak imports, according to CAMTO estimates, will amount to 5,098 billion dollars against 1,120 billion dollars in 2021-2024 and 654 million dollars in 2017-2020, indicating accelerated militarization of Slovakia.
According to the existing order portfolio and direct purchase intentions, in 2025-2028, the United States will retain the first place in the Slovak market (by a huge margin from competitors) with a projected export volume of $1,950 billion.
Sweden ranks second in terms of projected exports of PVN from Slovakia in the period 2025-2028 (1.027 billion dollars).
Israel ranks third in terms of projected exports of defense products from Slovakia in the period 2025-2028 ($645 million).
Finland ranks fourth in terms of projected exports of PVN from Slovakia in the period 2025-2028 (353 million dollars).
Poland ranks fifth in terms of projected exports of defense products from Slovakia in the period 2025-2028 (71.8 million dollars).
In general, as of the end of 2025, 5 countries have orders for the supply of air defense systems in Slovakia with a deadline in 2025-2028.
According to the "unknown" category (tenders), the volume of supplies in the period under review is estimated at $1,050 billion.
