US to sell military aircraft to European allies
The US on 4 April approved $4.7 billion in deals for US firms to sell jet fighters to Slovakia, military helicopters to Spain and armed UAVs to Britain.
All three countries are NATO members, and the sale of F-16 fighters to Slovakia will enable it to retire its Russian-built MiG-29s and build a fleet to work with its Western allies.
US President Donald Trump has called on all NATO members to increase their defence spending and thus better distribute the burden of paying for the alliance's collective security.
The total coast of Slovakia's package – 14 jets plus spare parts, air-to-air missiles, guided bombs and US contractors to train local crews – will come to $2.91 billion.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said: ‘Slovakia's current fighters are not interoperable with US forces or regional allies.
‘Purchase of the F-16V will provide Slovakia with fourth-generation fighter aircraft capability that is interoperable with the United States and NATO.’
US defence contractor Lockheed Martin and its suppliers and sub-contractors will receive the bulk of the spending.
Meanwhile, longstanding NATO member Spain has been approved to spend $1.3 billion to buy 17 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters from US aerospace giant Boeing.
And Britain plans to spend $500 million with General Dynamics on the firm's MQ-9 Reaper, an unmanned plane that allows remote operators to carry out reconnaissance or fire missiles.
British forces adopted the Reaper in order to work alongside their US allies in Afghanistan and the contract covers support and maintenance as it becomes part of their standard fleet.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Defence Notes
-
![Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan]()
Spain unveils new multi-billion euro defence investment plan
The new plan outlined how Spain would reach 2% of its GDP spend on defence by 2025, with €1.9 billion earmarked for new equipment acquisition with several land, naval and air platforms disclosed to be replaced or upgraded.
-
![New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia]()
New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
-
![UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”]()
UK Chancellor commits £2 billion to make the country a “defence industrial superpower”
Rachel Reeves announced port upgrades, protected budgets for innovation and investment in novel technologies.
-
![Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees]()
Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees
The Australian Budget was marked by tax cuts and a looming general election which led to little hope that there would be a substantial defence boost even with a big bill for nuclear submarines due.
-
![Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market]()
Launch of Gilat Defense targets DoD market
The communications company Gilat launched its new Gilat Defense division at the Satellite 2025 expo, with future solutions aimed at US military customers.
