The Ministry of Defense of the Slovak Republic (Ministerstvo obrany Slovenskej republiky, MO SR) recently submitted a request to the U.S. government for a price quote on the delivery of 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, along with detailed specifications for the equipment, accessories, AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles, initial logistical support, and training for pilots and technicians. With this action, the ministry has taken another step toward leveraging the favorable offer from the U.S. government to strengthen Slovakia’s defense capabilities. Before the submission of the overall price quote, a team of specialists will be assembled for each area, including logistics, ammunition, maintenance, training, etc.
According to Slovak Minister of Defense, Martin Sklenár, the next phase will involve the assessment of our requirements and other time-consuming processes. “Considering the complexity of the procedures and the experiences thus far, our American partner has informed us that, due to the unique nature of this project, which involves the activation of already manufactured and stored helicopters rather than the production of new ones, longer timelines for each step need to be taken into account. Our goal was to specify the requirements of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic in this phase as comprehensively as possible to increase the chances of a smooth and timely progress to the next step – the delivery of the price quote from the USA.
They will evaluate the situation, review the status of the equipment and spare parts, and subsequently prepare the price quote and notification for the U.S. Congress. Upon successful completion of the congressional process and contract signing, the U.S. side will commence the preparation of the helicopters and the installation of the requested systems. Based on the estimated duration of the processes, the delivery of the Viper attack helicopters to Slovakia is expected within a timeframe of three years. The value of the U.S offer for the helicopters and missiles is slightly over $ 1 billion USD, with Slovakia expected to pay approximately $ 340 million USD over the course of 3-4 years from its planned defense budget, based on negotiations and agreements with the U.S.
The Slovak Air Force, known since 2002 as the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic is the aviation and air defense branch of the Slovak Armed Forces. It succeeded the Czechoslovak Air Force together with the Czech Air Force in 1993 with 23 aircraft and 10 helicopters. The Slovak Air Force is tasked with the defense of the sovereign Slovak state and the support of the nation’s ground troops. The Czech Air Force has also ordered the type, which sought to retire its Soviet-era Mil Mi-24 gunships. In December 2019, the Czech Republic finalized the sale with the U.S. of eight UH-1Ys and four AH-1Zs for the Czech Air Force. The Slovak Air Force and the Czech Air Force are part of NATO Integrated Air Defense System – NATINADS.
