First Slovak F-16 Arrives in United States for New Training.

On June 13, 2024, the Morris Air National Guard Base in Arizona, located at Tucson International Airport, welcomed the first F-16 Block 70 "Viper" of the Slovak Air Force. This marks the beginning of the Slovak Air Force's training on this new type of aircraft, organized by the Arizona Air National Guard. The base, home to the 162nd Wing, has been preparing the initial Slovak cadre for F-16 operations for the past two years.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The Slovak F-16 Block 70 in the United States. (Picture source: US DoD)

Lt. Col. Matthew Hodges, squadron commander, stated, "The cadre of Slovak F-16 pilots has undergone an initial basic course covering air-to-air and air-to-ground tactics. After completing the basic course, they accumulated the necessary hours for the flight lead upgrade, and some continued training to become instructors, allowing them to return to Slovakia and start their own F-16 operations."

The 162nd Wing has trained eleven Slovak pilots so far. These pilots, while in the United States, participate in several phases of training, including a basic air-to-air and air-to-ground tactics course as well as flight lead upgrade training.

The Slovak Air Force used the MiG-29 Fulcrum until August 2022. Although there was an initial plan to cooperate with Sweden on the Saab JAS-39 Gripen in 2014, Slovakia decided in 2018 to purchase 14 Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70/72 "Vipers" for 1.58 billion euros (1.8 billion USD). Following the decommissioning of the MiG-29s, Slovakia donated thirteen of these aircraft to Ukraine in 2023.

The first Vipers were supposed to arrive in Slovakia in 2022/23, but delays pushed these deliveries back. To compensate for the temporary lack of fighters, the Czech Republic agreed to help protect Slovak airspace. Deliveries of the new fighters are expected to continue until 2025, with two F-16s anticipated in Slovakia later this year to begin home station operations. These will be the first F-16s with Block 70 capabilities to operate in Europe. The F-16s hosted by the Arizona Air National Guard are expected to remain in Arizona until 2026.

Morris ANGB has been a training center for allied nations on F-16 operations since 1992. It has trained pilots and maintenance technicians from various countries, including Singapore, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Poland, Italy, and Taiwan. The 162nd Wing also provides training in allied countries and notably hosts Ukrainian F-16 training. In addition to its F-16 mission, the 162nd Wing operates the MQ-9 Reaper under the 214th Attack Group.

Lockheed Martin's F-16 Block 70/72 offers several improvements, including the APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) system, an updated glass cockpit, and an extended airframe lifespan. The APG-83 radar, produced by Northrop Grumman, offers a larger targeting range, can track more than 20 air and ground targets simultaneously, and shares parts commonality with the radar systems of the F-22 and F-35. The Slovak aircraft are manufactured at Lockheed Martin's facility in Greenville, South Carolina.

"The F-16 Block 70 is the latest edition of one of the most combat-proven fighter jets of all time," said Col. Thomas Obrochta, 162nd Operations Group commander. "It includes an advanced APG-83 AESA fire control radar, a high-resolution central pedestal display, which provides critical tactical imagery to pilots and allows them to fully exploit AESA and targeting pod data, advanced weapons integration, and an extended structural life of 12,000 hours—more than 50% beyond that of previous F-16 production aircraft."