Slovakia receives an offer from the USA to modernise its airfields
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- Date: 19.04.2018
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The Slovak Republic may get financial support worth US$46 million from the United States of America to modernise Sliač Air Base and Kuchyňa Air Base. The aim of the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) is to facilitate the development of defence capabilities in Europe, especially in the countries on NATO’s eastern flank. The MOD wants to emphasise that the U.S. offer is unconnected to the SVK Air Force’s supersonic fleet solution. Moreover, it categorically denies any assertion that this is an effort to build or modernise U.S. Air Force bases on SVK territory.
In the case of Slovakia, the investment of resources should serve to maintain airfield pavement surfaces and to increase fuel storage facilities. For Slovakia to accept the offer, it is important that it corresponds to the operational requirements of the SVK Armed Forces and that it is based on a written agreement. The financial support is aimed at delivering the SVK military’s infrastructure enhancements and interoperability with NATO Allies and partners.
The EDI projects to be submitted will be in line with NATO’s standards that Slovakia, as a NATO member, is obliged to meet and apply. The U.S. offer is an opportunity to enhance the operational level of one’s capabilities, whilst jointly contributing to improving NATO’s collective defence. The acceptance and implementation of such support is conditioned by the signing of a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) by both sides. The parties, involving the U.S. DOD and the SVK MOD, will be discussing the DCA in the coming days in an effort to draft the much-needed agreement.
The European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) funds will enable Slovakia to deliver savings that can be reinvested into infrastructure enhancements across the SVK Armed Forces. Thanks to the EDI-funded activities, we can boost our country’s credibility in the eyes of our NATO Allies and strengthen Slovakia’s role of Host Nation Support (HNS).
The European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) was first unveiled by then U.S. President Barack Obama at the 2016 Warsaw Summit. The Summit saw the EDI resources offered to the countries across NATO’s eastern flank. The initiative is backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 EDI Budget for a number of NATO countries. In addition to Slovakia, Iceland and Norway, similar offers have been made to Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Malta, Luxembourg and Bulgaria. In the past, Sliač Air Base has already received infrastructure improvements from NATO resources.
In the case of Slovakia, the investment of resources should serve to maintain airfield pavement surfaces and to increase fuel storage facilities. For Slovakia to accept the offer, it is important that it corresponds to the operational requirements of the SVK Armed Forces and that it is based on a written agreement. The financial support is aimed at delivering the SVK military’s infrastructure enhancements and interoperability with NATO Allies and partners.
The EDI projects to be submitted will be in line with NATO’s standards that Slovakia, as a NATO member, is obliged to meet and apply. The U.S. offer is an opportunity to enhance the operational level of one’s capabilities, whilst jointly contributing to improving NATO’s collective defence. The acceptance and implementation of such support is conditioned by the signing of a Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) by both sides. The parties, involving the U.S. DOD and the SVK MOD, will be discussing the DCA in the coming days in an effort to draft the much-needed agreement.
The European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) funds will enable Slovakia to deliver savings that can be reinvested into infrastructure enhancements across the SVK Armed Forces. Thanks to the EDI-funded activities, we can boost our country’s credibility in the eyes of our NATO Allies and strengthen Slovakia’s role of Host Nation Support (HNS).
The European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) was first unveiled by then U.S. President Barack Obama at the 2016 Warsaw Summit. The Summit saw the EDI resources offered to the countries across NATO’s eastern flank. The initiative is backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 EDI Budget for a number of NATO countries. In addition to Slovakia, Iceland and Norway, similar offers have been made to Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Malta, Luxembourg and Bulgaria. In the past, Sliač Air Base has already received infrastructure improvements from NATO resources.
