Poland to defend Slovakian airspace if Slovakia transfers its MiG-29s to Ukraine.

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine (and Moldova, including pro-Russian separatist Transnistria, soon ?), Poland announced it is ready to defend Slovakia's airspace if this country transfers its MiG-29AS fighter planes to the Ukrainian Air Force, R.RepublicWorld.com reports.

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Slovakian Air Force MiG-29As (Picture source: Wikimedia/KGyST)

As reported by Air Recognition on 16 April, Slovakia is in talks with NATO allies and the United States to provide its fleet of MiG-29AS fighter aircraft to Ukraine if alternative airspace protection of its own air space could be secured. "I got a confirmation that Poland is ready to take care of Slovakia's air space from the moment Slovakia decides to ground the MiG-29 jets," Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad stated at a joint press conference along with his Polish counterpart Mariusz Błaszczak, Sky News reported. As the Ukrainian air force operates between 37 and 70 MiG-29s (present figure unknown), including 8 used for conversion training, the Slovak ones could be easily and quickly used by Ukrainian pilots without specific training.

According to Jaroslav Nad, legislative steps must be in place for such a transfer to Ukraine, and Slovakia is working on this, R.RepublicWorld.com reports. Meanwhile, Poland's Defence minister Mariusz Blaszczak stated that his country may draw on its experience regulating the Baltic states' airspace: "These duties will be carried out from the territory of Poland... As a rule, we will expand the scope of operation of the Polish duty group that uses F-16 aircraft," Blaszczak remarked. However, both leaders did not specify when Poland's operation in Slovak airspace would begin.