Slovakia has abandoned plans to acquire advanced trainer/light attack aircraft to operate alongside its RSKMiG-29Fulcrums. Instead it will launch competitions to acquire 10 advanced trainers and 18 multirole supersonic fighters.
Previously the Slovak air force had planned to buy 35-50 aircraft to replace Mikoyan MiG-21 Fishbed, Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter and Su-25 Frogfoot fighters as well as Aero Vodochody L-29Delfin and L-39Albatross trainers.
A request for information covering the Aermacchi MB339 and 346, Aero L-159 and BAE Systems Hawk was issued in April last year, but a planned request for tenders five months later was not issued. Another option discussed but not followed through was an L-39 upgrade.
Slovakia now plans to issue provisional requests for information this month covering separate trainer and fighter purchases. Industry sources expect the trainer competition to run ahead of the fighters, with initial deliveries in 2004.
This would allow the training of the first pilots for the combat aircraft before the fighters are delivered, perhaps from around 2006.
Trainer competitors are expected to be the aircraft considered last year. The fighter contest is likely to mimic those of Slovakia's neighbours - Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland - and will probably be a battle between the Lockheed MartinF-16 and Saab/BAE Systems Gripen, although the Boeing F/A-18E/F, Dassault Mirage 2000-5Mk2 and MiG-29 are also possible contenders.
Source: Flight International
