Slovakia has selected Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets over a competing bid from Saab's Gripen to replace its ageing MiG-29 fleet. Slovakia will buy 14 F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft. According to Reuters it would cost $1.3 billion for the 14 jets. Slovakia’s choice of the U.S. jet over its Swedish counterpart is notable in a regional context, as two of its closest neighbours ― Hungary and the Czech Republic ― operate the Gripen. Poland, however, operates the F-16.
