New strategic air capability
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- Date: 29.04.2015
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SVK Minister of Defense Glváč has been mandated by the Security Council of the Slovak Republic and the SVK Government to effect the purchase of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. This initiative is viewed as the most extensive modernization project in the history of the SVK Armed Forces. A total of 9 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters will be procured by the SVK MOD under the U.S. Government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, while achieving maximum transparency and lower prices.
“This is the most transparent process one can imagine. We are purchasing the helicopters and the capabilities associated with them for the same prices as the United States Armed Forces do. So we are buying a comprehensive package at a maximum price of 261 million U.S. dollars, and this is a framework price. We can still bring down the price of some items,” emphasized the Minister. At the same time, he thanked U.S. partners for their efforts in drafting the contract.
“The contract means a lot more than just purchasing helicopters. This is an acquisition of a completely new strategic capability, one that involves logistics, maintenance, ground personnel, training, and everything associated with it. This step will greatly strengthen the already excellent partnership between Slovakia and the United States of America,” said U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia Mr. Theodore Sedgwick. He went on to emphasize that this is a contract between two governments, one whose transparency is indisputable. “To put it simply, Slovakia has contracted the Pentagon to negotiate on its behalf. It will thus get the advantages that come with the purchase and can capitalize on the Pentagon buying large quantities of helicopters, either for itself or for other countries under the FMS program,” he explained.
Yet another advantage of the contract, according to him, consists in the eventuality of Slovakia becoming a regional leader in the field of training and maintenance. As the head of the SVK MOD explained, negotiations to link the contract to industrial cooperation have been underway. “We are seeking to become a regional leader in pilots training and we have preliminary agreements that the helicopter manufacturer and we will be capable of setting up a significant training center, which will be utilized also by other countries,” said the Minister.
Lt Gen Milan Maxim, Chief of the SVK General Staff, appreciated the modernization efforts of the current MOD leadership. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters meet all the requirements of the SVK Armed Forces. The necessity to replace the helicopter fleet was also confirmed by Brig Gen Miroslav Korba, SVK Air Force Commander, saying that “We are replacing the Mil Mi-17 Hip helicopters for the Black Hawk utility helicopters. These are precisely the helicopters that suit us.” According to him, they will also be used for crisis management operations at home, including firefighting, flood incident response, and search and rescue missions.
The finalization of the contract has been overseen by the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Vice Admiral Joseph W. Rixey, who participated in the negotiations on Monday in Bratislava. “This is a very convenient price because you will get the same machines as the U.S. Armed Forces. The Slovak Ministry of Defense will use our support and the U.S. administration will negotiate the best price for you,” remarked Vice Admiral Rixey. He went on to explain that the media-quoted price, which was approved by the U.S. Congress, accounted for a maximum framework price: “It is always overvalued so that we can be flexible, if you decide for something additional in the future.” The Vice Admiral noted that the negotiations between the SVK MOD and the DSCA had lasted over 3 months.
“This is the most transparent process one can imagine. We are purchasing the helicopters and the capabilities associated with them for the same prices as the United States Armed Forces do. So we are buying a comprehensive package at a maximum price of 261 million U.S. dollars, and this is a framework price. We can still bring down the price of some items,” emphasized the Minister. At the same time, he thanked U.S. partners for their efforts in drafting the contract.
“The contract means a lot more than just purchasing helicopters. This is an acquisition of a completely new strategic capability, one that involves logistics, maintenance, ground personnel, training, and everything associated with it. This step will greatly strengthen the already excellent partnership between Slovakia and the United States of America,” said U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia Mr. Theodore Sedgwick. He went on to emphasize that this is a contract between two governments, one whose transparency is indisputable. “To put it simply, Slovakia has contracted the Pentagon to negotiate on its behalf. It will thus get the advantages that come with the purchase and can capitalize on the Pentagon buying large quantities of helicopters, either for itself or for other countries under the FMS program,” he explained.
Yet another advantage of the contract, according to him, consists in the eventuality of Slovakia becoming a regional leader in the field of training and maintenance. As the head of the SVK MOD explained, negotiations to link the contract to industrial cooperation have been underway. “We are seeking to become a regional leader in pilots training and we have preliminary agreements that the helicopter manufacturer and we will be capable of setting up a significant training center, which will be utilized also by other countries,” said the Minister.
Lt Gen Milan Maxim, Chief of the SVK General Staff, appreciated the modernization efforts of the current MOD leadership. The Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters meet all the requirements of the SVK Armed Forces. The necessity to replace the helicopter fleet was also confirmed by Brig Gen Miroslav Korba, SVK Air Force Commander, saying that “We are replacing the Mil Mi-17 Hip helicopters for the Black Hawk utility helicopters. These are precisely the helicopters that suit us.” According to him, they will also be used for crisis management operations at home, including firefighting, flood incident response, and search and rescue missions.
The finalization of the contract has been overseen by the Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Vice Admiral Joseph W. Rixey, who participated in the negotiations on Monday in Bratislava. “This is a very convenient price because you will get the same machines as the U.S. Armed Forces. The Slovak Ministry of Defense will use our support and the U.S. administration will negotiate the best price for you,” remarked Vice Admiral Rixey. He went on to explain that the media-quoted price, which was approved by the U.S. Congress, accounted for a maximum framework price: “It is always overvalued so that we can be flexible, if you decide for something additional in the future.” The Vice Admiral noted that the negotiations between the SVK MOD and the DSCA had lasted over 3 months.
