Nad: F-16 Fighters to Cost More Than €1.6 bn as Announced by Previous Cabinet

Bratislava, June 3 (TASR) - F-16 fighters will cost more than the €1.6 billion announced by the previous government, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad (OLaNO) told Radio Expres on the Brano Zavodsky Nazivo (Brano Zavodsky Live) talk show on Wednesday, adding that they had already agreed with the U.S. side on the reallocation of the instalments. Nad further stated that the fighter contract includes pilot training. However, logistics is contracted only for two years. "The competitive bid offered logistics, I think for ten years, that is for six or eight years, now I'm not sure, we'll have to buy some more logistics, and it'll cost hundreds of millions. That acquisition will cost Slovakia in the first ten years well over two billion euros," he said. According to him, the amount needed for the reconstruction of Sliac Airport (Banska Bystrica region) can also double to triple, the previous government estimated the costs at €55 million. According to the minister, the state pays €40-50 million a year for the maintenance of the old MiG-29 fighters. "Annual maintenance is fixed at about €25 million but it only provides for some repairs and we have a lot of repairs beyond the scope of the contract, which also costs plus minus €20 million," he said. am/mcs