Slowaakse luchtmacht

Slagorde · Slovakia

Slowaakse luchtmacht

Vzdušné sily Ozbrojených síl Slovenskej republiky · Vzdušné sily OS SR

The Slovak Air Force (Vzdušné sily OS SR) was formed on 1 January 1993 with a third of the Czechoslovak air arm, but its lineage runs back to the Slovak State’s air force that fought Hungary in March 1939 and to the insurgent airmen of Tri Duby in 1944; after thirty years of Russian-serviced MiG-29s and three years with its skies guarded by its neighbours, in 2026 it has all 14 F-16 Block 70s on its books, ten of them at home, with Barak MX air defence arriving and Sliač being rebuilt.

Nationale markeringThe Slovak arms — a white double cross on three blue hills, on a red field — in a white-bordered square
14Gevechtsvliegtuigen
3Actieve luchtbases
1993Opgericht
22Typen gepensioneerd
Photo: U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. David Sherman / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
LandSlowakijeOpgericht1993StatusActiefHoofdkwartierZvolenCommandantAdolf Daubner
Het verhaal

The Slovak Air Force story: a war with Hungary, the Tri Duby airbridge and the long road from the MiG-29 to the F-16

1939–1944: an air force born in a fight with Hungary

Slovak military flying began in the break-up of Czechoslovakia. When the Slovak State was proclaimed in March 1939 it kept a small air force, the Slovenské vzdušné zbrane, built from Czechoslovak aircraft and weakened by the departure of Czech airmen. Within days it was at war: Hungary invaded eastern Slovakia on 23 March 1939, and Wikipedia counts nine Slovak fighters destroyed or damaged, at least three pilots killed and one captured, while Hungary’s only aircraft loss was a Fiat CR.32 downed by its own guns. In September 1939 two or three Slovak squadrons flew with the Germans against Poland. From 1941 Slovak fighter pilots served on the Eastern Front under Luftwaffe command, and the Avia B-534 biplanes gave way to Bf 109Es and Bf 109Gs, 30 of each; Ján Režňák was credited with 32 victories and Izidor Kovárik with 28. It was a capable small force serving a regime allied to Nazi Germany, and its record carries both facts.

1944: Tri Duby and the uprising

Then part of it turned. When the Slovak National Uprising broke out on 29 August 1944, airmen in central Slovakia formed a Combined Squadron from what they had: four Avia B-534s, three Letov Š-328s and two Bf 109Es, later joined by two Bf 109G-6s and an Fw 189. On 2 September Master Sergeant František Cyprich shot down a Junkers Ju 52 in Hungarian markings with a B-534, which Wikipedia calls the last recorded air-to-air victory by a biplane fighter. From 6 September Tri Duby, today Sliač, was the insurgents’ main base, and on 17 September the 1st Czechoslovak Fighter Air Regiment flew in from the Soviet Union with 22 La-5FNs; the Czech war graves office credits it with 561 sorties and 10 aircraft shot down. Soviet Li-2s made 1,199 take-offs for the uprising, about 682 of them successful, bringing up to 2,000 people and 639.1 tonnes of supplies. Air operations ended on 25 October 1944.

1945–1992: the Czechoslovak years

From 1945 to 1992 there was no separate Slovak air force. Slovak airfields served the Czechoslovak Air Force, which licence-built MiG-15s, MiG-19s and MiG-21s, joined the Warsaw Pact in 1955 and by the 1980s was organised into the 7th Air Army for air defence and the 10th for support of the ground forces. Kuchyňa near Malacky, a range and airfield in military use since the early 1920s according to the Military History Institute, was the air force’s training airfield and range. After the Warsaw Pact invasion of 1968, Tri Duby, renamed Sliač in 1945, became a Soviet air base, flying MiG-23s, MiG-29s and Su-22s until 1990. Czechoslovakia had 18 MiG-29As and two MiG-29UBs from 1989. The shared story of these years — the RAF squadrons of 1940–45, the purge of their veterans after 1948, the 1953 shoot-down over Merklín — is told on the Czech Air Force page. For Slovakia the lasting fact was that its bases had been built as parts of a larger machine.

1993–2004: a third of the fleet and a MiG-29 debt deal

On 1 January 1993 Czechoslovakia split and its aircraft were divided roughly two to one in the Czech favour, the MiG-29s half and half. FutureArmy counts more than 160 aircraft and 60 helicopters, close to 230 machines, for the new Slovak air force and air defence: five MiG-21 variants, 18 Su-22M4s, 10 Su-25Ks, nine MiG-29As and a MiG-29UB, plus L-29s, L-39s, transports and Mi-24, Mi-17, Mi-8 and Mi-2 helicopters, spread over Sliač, Kuchyňa, Piešťany and Prešov. Russia then paid part of its Soviet-era debt in MiG-29s: the first five reached Sliač just before Christmas 1993 and more followed until 1996, 14 in all, taking the fleet to 24. On 1 March 1995 regiments gave way to wings and squadrons. Retrenchment followed: the Su-22s and Su-25s went in 2002 and the last MiG-21s were grounded on 1 January 2003, all without replacement, and the aerobatic team Biele Albatrosy and the Košice flight academy were closed.

2004–2023: NATO, the MiG-29 trap and the F-16 decision

Slovakia joined NATO in 2004, and the question became what to do with the MiGs. Between 2005 and 2006 Letecké opravovne Trenčín upgraded ten single-seaters to MiG-29AS and two two-seaters to UBS standard, work completed on 29 February 2008; three aircraft were never upgraded. Four MiG-29s were lost, among them two that collided over Spišské Tomášovce in November 2002, killing Major Marián Katuška. The worst accident was not a fighter: on 19 January 2006 an An-24 bringing soldiers home from Kosovo flew into a hill near Hejce in Hungary, killing 42 of the 43 on board. The MiG-29 became a trap — serviced in Russia, with about four airworthy on average by Gen. Daniel Zmeko’s account, at 67,000–70,000 euros per flight hour. On 12 December 2018 Slovakia signed for 14 F-16 Block 70s for 1.589 billion euros. The MiGs were grounded on 31 August 2022, and 13 went to Ukraine in 2023.

2024–2026: F-16s at last, and the gaps still open

The first two F-16s landed at Kuchyňa on 22 July 2024, ferried by American pilots; the 14th was accepted at Tucson on 16 April 2026. Ten are in Slovakia and four remain in Arizona for pilot training, and because Sliač is being rebuilt the fighters live at Kuchyňa for now. Since 1 September 2022 Slovak airspace has been guarded by others: Czech Gripens and Polish F-16s, later joined by Hungary and Germany. Slovakia expects to take over its own NATO air policing in 2027 and to fly Baltic air policing from the end of 2027, and on 9 September 2026 the government approved four more two-seat F-16Ds for 390 million euros. Six Barak MX batteries cost 554 million euros; the first arrived in April 2026. The weak side is everything else: in late 2024 one of two C-27Js and two of seven L-410s were serviceable, the L-39s are at the end of their lives, and their replacements are still plans.

Then part of it turned. When the Slovak National Uprising broke out on 29 August 1944, airmen in central Slovakia formed a Combined Squadron from what they had: four Avia B-534s, three Letov Š-328s and two Bf 109Es, later joined by two Bf 109G-6s and an Fw 189.Slovak Air Force · verified 2026-09-29
In één oogopslag

The Slovak Air Force in numbers

Dienst

Inheemse naam
Vzdušné sily Ozbrojených síl Slovenskej republikyShort form Vzdušné sily OS SR, as the armed forces’ page for the air force commander spells it. The Second World War air force was the Slovenské vzdušné zbrane (SVZ). The English Wikipedia title is Slovak Air Force
Opgericht
1 januari 1993Formed from roughly a third of the Czechoslovak Air Force when the federation split. Its predecessors are the Slovak State’s air force of 1939–45 and the insurgent air force of the 1944 uprising
Onderdeel van
Armed Forces of the Slovak RepublicUnder the General Staff; Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Miroslav Lorinc, nominated on 22 April 2026 to succeed Gen. Daniel Zmeko
Hoofdkwartier
ZvolenAir Force Command and the 2nd Air Force Brigade (air operations centre and radars) are at Zvolen; the 11th Air Force Brigade (ground-based air defence) is at Nitra
Commandant
Brig. Gen. Adolf DaubnerActing commander from April 2025, commander since August 2025 per Wikipedia, promoted brigadier general in September 2025. His two predecessors, Róbert Tóth and Martin Kuterka, left within five months of each other
Minister van Defensie
Robert KaliňákDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence in the government of Robert Fico

Kracht

Personeel
About 3,200Wikipedia’s figure; no official air force total was found. NATO estimates 16,900 military personnel for the whole armed forces in 2025
Gevechtsvliegtuigen
  • F-16C/D Block 70 — 10 in Slovakia, 4 in the United States for training

14 bought (12 F-16C, 2 F-16D); four more F-16Ds approved on 9 September 2026. The four in the US are due once pilot training is complete, which Wikipedia puts in 2027

Helikopters
  • UH-60M Black Hawk — 11–13
  • Mi-17 — 4–6

All with the 51st Wing at Prešov. Sources count the UH-60Ms differently: 11 per Wikipedia and FutureArmy, before or including the two new aircraft of August 2026

Vervoer
  • C-27J Spartan — 2
  • L-410 Turbolet — 6–7

All with the 46th Wing at Kuchyňa. In November 2024 the ministry said only one C-27J and two L-410s were serviceable and planned to replace them

Trainers
  • L-39CM/ZAM Albatros — 6–9

Wikipedia counts six L-39CM and three L-39ZAM in one table and four and two in another. FutureArmy says the L-39s reach the end of their service lives in 2026; talks on the L-39NG were confirmed in September 2026

Grondgebonden luchtverdediging
Barak MX, 2K12 Kub, MANTISFirst of six Barak MX batteries delivered in April 2026; the S-300PMU battery went to Ukraine in April 2022 and part of the Kub system in 2023
Defensie-uitgaven
2.87 billion euros (2025 estimate)NATO’s estimate, 2.04 per cent of GDP, up from 0.98 per cent in 2014; 31 per cent of it on equipment

Infrastructuur

Luchtbases
  • Malacky-Kuchyňa — 46th Wing, transport; F-16s temporarily
  • Sliač — 81st Wing, fighters and trainers; under reconstruction
  • Prešov — 51st Wing, helicopters

Wikipedia lists three air bases; the two civil airports at Košice and Piešťany are used for events and exercises

Historic airfield
Tri Duby (Sliač)Main base of the insurgent air force from 6 September to 25 October 1944; a Soviet air base from 1968 to 1990
Allied air policing
Since 1 September 2022Czech Gripens and Polish F-16s under NATO command, later joined by Hungary and Germany; Slovakia expects to take over in 2027
Sliač reconstruction
Opening planned for 2027The minister said in September 2026 he expected to open the rebuilt base in 2027 and to move the air show there
Air show
IMAD 2026, PiešťanyAbout 70,000 visitors on 6–7 September 2026
Structuur

How the Slovak Air Force is organised

One command at Zvolen over three flying wings and a ground-based air defence brigade at Nitra. Fighters and trainers belong to the 81st Wing at Sliač, transport to the 46th at Malacky-Kuchyňa and every helicopter to the 51st at Prešov; while Sliač is rebuilt, the F-16s fly from Kuchyňa. Since 1 September 2022 allied fighters have guarded Slovak airspace; Slovakia expects to take the task back in 2027.

ADVERTENTIE

Brigadier General (brigádny generál)Adolf DaubnerCommander of the Air Force (veliťeľ Vzdušných síl OS SR) · in office since 2025
Slowaakse luchtmachtVzdušné sily OS SR
Hoofdkwartier

Luchtmachtcommando

Zvolen

At Zvolen, under the General Staff, beside the 2nd Air Force Brigade’s air operations centre and radars. Brig. Gen. Adolf Daubner, acting commander from April 2025, has led the air force since August 2025 per Wikipedia.

Frontlinie

81st Wing

81. krídlo
Sliač

Every fighter and jet trainer: 14 F-16 Block 70s, ten of them in Slovakia and four in the United States for pilot training, and the L-39 Albatros. While Sliač is rebuilt the wing’s aircraft fly from Malacky; the minister expects to reopen the base in 2027.

Vervoer

46th Wing

46. krídlo
Malacky-Kuchyňa

Two C-27J Spartans and six or seven L-410 Turbolets; in November 2024 the ministry said only one C-27J and two L-410s were serviceable. Since July 2024 the base has also been the temporary home of the F-16s.

Helikopters

51st Wing

51. krídlo
Prešov

Every helicopter the air force owns: 11 to 13 UH-60M Black Hawks and four to six Mi-17s. In December 2024 the government chose refurbished UH-60Ls over the US-offered AH-1Z Viper package.

Luchtverdediging

11th Air Force Brigade

Nitra

Ground-based air defence: Barak MX, the first of six batteries delivered in April 2026, with 2K12 Kub and MANTIS. The S-300 battery went to Ukraine in April 2022.

In dienst

What the Slovak Air Force flies today

Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.

Type Rol In dienst Sinds Eenheden Notities
Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70 Fighting FalconIn dienst Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig 14 2024 12 single-seat F-16C and 2 two-seat F-16D, all accepted by 16 April 2026; ten are in Slovakia and four remain at Tucson, Arizona, for pilot training.

Meer

Four more F-16Ds were approved on 9 September 2026 (see on order).
Sikorsky UH-60M Black HawkIn dienst Hulp- en zoek- en reddingshelikopter 2017 11–13.

Meer

Nine were ordered in 2015 for about USD 261 million; Wikipedia and FutureArmy give 11 in service, and two more (7469 and 7470), fitted with a nose-mounted electro-optical sensor, landed at Kuchyňa on 25 August 2026. Whether the 11 includes those two was not resolved.
Mil Mi-17M and Mi-17 LPZSIn dienst Hulp- en zoek- en reddingshelikopter 1993 4–6. Wikipedia’s inventory table gives four Mi-17s; its unit list gives four Mi-17M and two Mi-17 LPZS (search and rescue). Four Mi-17s were given to Ukraine in 2022.
Leonardo (Alenia) C-27J SpartaansIn dienst Tactisch transport 2 2017 Two, ordered in 2014 and delivered in 2017–2018.
Let L-410UVP-E and L-410FG TurboletIn dienst Light transport and aerial survey 1993 6–7. FutureArmy counts seven, four of them L-410UVP-E20s bought in 2010–2013 and one L-410FG survey aircraft; Wikipedia gives five UVP-E and one FG.
Aero L-39CM and L-39ZAM AlbatrosIn dienst Straaljager voor training en lichte aanvalsvliegtuigen 1993 6–9. Wikipedia gives six L-39CM and three L-39ZAM in its inventory table, but four and two in its unit list.
Bombardier Global 5000In dienst Overheidsvervoer en medische evacuatie 2 Two per Wikipedia; not confirmed on an official page.
F-16 Block 7014
C-27J2
Global 50002

Op bestelling

Type Besteld Eerste levering Notities
Lockheed Martin F-16D Block 70 Fighting FalconOp bestelling 4 Approved by the government on 9 September 2026 for 390 million euros including weapons, reconnaissance pods, spares and training; the US offer expired on 15 September 2026, with a first payment of 17 million euros at the end of 2026 and payments to 2030.

Meer

FutureArmy reports all four as two-seat F-16Ds; Wikipedia, from February 2026 reporting, gave two C and two D. Delivery dates were not published.
Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk (refurbished)Op bestelling 13 2025 Chosen in December 2024 instead of the discounted AH-1Z Viper package offered by the United States after the MiG-29 transfer.

Meer

The minister spoke of 12 used UH-60Ls from Ace Aeronautics of Alabama with an 8,000-hour guarantee; the government decision of 19 December 2024 refers to 13, delivered 2025–2030. Deliveries to date were not confirmed.
Embraer C-390 MillenniumOp bestelling Planned, not contracted: three medium transports with an option on a fourth to replace the C-27J, deliveries to finish by 2030.

Meer

The minister confirmed negotiations in September 2026, with about a third of the value to go to Slovak industry; Wikipedia reports four. Two small twin jets are also planned to replace L-410s.
Aero L-39NGOp bestelling Negotiations confirmed by Robert Kaliňák in September 2026 for a trainer that could also counter drones; number, price and timetable not published.
IAI Barak MX air defence systemOp bestelling 6 2026 Six batteries approved on 29 August 2024 for 554 million euros, after the minister negotiated the price per battery down from about 128 million to about 92 million euros; NASAMS and SAMP/T were also considered.

Meer

Each battery has a fire control centre, a radar and three launchers with eight missiles each, on Tatra chassis. The first arrived in April 2026, later than planned; deliveries run to 2030. Operated by the air force’s 11th Brigade.
Voorheen in bedrijf

Every type the Slovak Air Force has retired

22 types, from the Avia B-534 and Bk-534 to the Mikoyan MiG-29A/UB and MiG-29AS/UBS. De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.

Type Rol Piek Geserveerd Vervangen door Notities
Mikoyan MiG-29A/UB and MiG-29AS/UBS luchtsuperioriteitsjager 24 1993–2022 F-16 Block 70 Ten from the 1993 split (nine A, one UB) and 14 delivered by Russia to pay Soviet-era debt from December 1993 to 1996, 24 in all with three two-seaters (FutureArmy).

Meer

Ten single-seaters were upgraded to MiG-29AS and two two-seaters to UBS by 29 February 2008. At retirement 11 (VOA) or 12 (The Aviationist) were in service.
Antonov An-26 Tactisch transport 1993–2016 C-27J
PZL Mi-2 Lichte helikopter 1993–2013
Mil Mi-24 Aanvalshelikopter 1993–2011
Mil Mi-8 Transporthelikopter 1993–2011 UH-60M
Antonov An-24V Vervoer 1993–2006
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21MA, MF, R, UM and other variants Jachtvliegtuig en verkenningsvliegtuig 1993–2003 Wikipedia’s operator list credits Slovakia with 13 MiG-21MA, 36 MF, 8 R and 11 UM among other variants, a total that includes older airframes; FutureArmy says five variants were inherited.

Meer

The number flying in 1993 was not confirmed.
Aero L-29 Delfín Straaltrainer 1993–2003 L-39
Sukhoi Su-22M4 en Su-22UM3K Jachtbommenwerper 18 1993–2002 18 Su-22M4 inherited in 1993 (FutureArmy); the number of two-seaters was not confirmed.
Sukhoi Su-25K en Su-25UBK Grondaanval 10 1993–2002 Ten Su-25K inherited in 1993, the rest of a Czechoslovak fleet whose Czech share was 24.
Antonov An-12 Heavy transport 1993–1999
Messerschmitt Bf 109E-7 and Bf 109G-6 Vechter 60 1942–1945 30 Bf 109E-7 and 30 Bf 109G-6 per Wikipedia.
Junkers Ju 87D-3 Duikbommenwerper 10 10 volgens Wikipedia.
Heinkel He 111H-10 and H-16 Bommenwerper 5 Two H-10 and three H-16.
Savoia-Marchetti SM.84bis Bommenwerper 10 10 volgens Wikipedia.
Avia B-534 and Bk-534 Tweedekker gevechtsvliegtuig 1939–1944 Bf 109 71–90. The B-534 article says Slovakia inherited about 71 B-534s and Bk-534s; the Slovak Air Force (1939–45) article lists 79 B-534 and 11 Bk-534.
Letov Š-328 Observation and light bomber 73 1939–1944 73 per Wikipedia.
Lavochkin La-5FN Vechter 22 1944–1944 22 flown into the uprising by the 1st Czechoslovak Fighter Air Regiment on 17 September 1944 (Wikipedia on the uprising says 21).
Avia B-71 Bommenwerper 1 1939–1943 A single aircraft.
Aero A-100 and Ab-101 Verkenningsbiplane 15 1939– 15 per Wikipedia.
Aero Ap.32 Patrol aircraft 5 1939– Five at Spišská Nová Ves in March 1939.
Avia B.122 Trainer 65 1939– About 65 per Wikipedia.
Luchtbases

Where the Slovak Air Force flies from

Zwarte pinnen zijn actieve bases, holle pinnen zijn de bases die gesloten zijn. Three air bases remain; military flying ended at Košice in 2004, and the former 32nd Air Base at Piešťany passed to the military museum in 2002. Spišská Nová Ves and Vajnory are listed for the war with Hungary in March 1939. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.

Actieve luchtmachtbasis Gesloten of reserverenKlik op een speld om de basispagina te openen.
Baseren ICAO Status Startbaan Eenheden en vliegtuigen
MalackyKuchyňaBratislava Region (Bratislavský kraj) LZMC Actief
  • 46th Wing (46. krídlo): Alenia C-27J Spartan (2), Let L-410 Turbolet (6, several versions)
  • 81st Wing F-16 element (deployed): F-16C/D Block 70
  • Military unit 4562 Kuchyňa
  • Luftwaffe
  • 33rd Air Base (Su-25): Su-25K (12) and Su-25UBK (1)
  • US Patriot battery
  • Spanish Army helicopter detachment: CH-47 Chinook (HT-17, 2), NH90 (HT-29, 1), Tiger (HT-28, 2)
PrešovPrešov Region (Prešovský kraj) LZPW Actief
SliačBanská Bystrica Region (Banskobystrický kraj) LZSL Actief
Piešťanyformer 32ndTrnava Region (Trnavský kraj) LZPP Gesloten 01/192.000 mbeton en asfalt
  • 32nd Air Base (32. letecká základňa)
  • 3rd Air Regiment of Milan Rastislav Štefánik (elements)
Spišská Nová VesKošice Region (Košický kraj) Gesloten
  • Squadrons of the 3rd Air Regiment (45th, 49th, 12th, 13th): Avia B-534, Letov Š-328 and Aero Ap.32
Bratislava-VajnoryBratislava Region (Bratislavský kraj) LZVB Gesloten in 2007.
  • 3rd Air Regiment of Milan Rastislav Štefánik (elements)
Košice Airportformer military aviation academyKošice Region (Košický kraj) LZKZ Gesloten in 2004. 01/193.100 m
  • SNP Air Force Academy (military aviation academy)
  • Biele Albatrosy (White Albatrosses) aerobatic team

Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.

Slagorde

Who is stationed where in the Slovak Air Force

Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. Slovakia replaced its regiments with wings and squadrons on 1 March 1995; the Czechoslovak and Soviet units of 1945–1992 and the insurgent squadron of 1944 appear under the airfields they flew from. Where a unit designation or date could not be confirmed, the entry says so.

Sliač Air Base · LZSL81st Wing
81st Wing (81. krídlo)Fighter and jet-trainer wing · active
F-16C/D Block 70 (12 C, 2 D; flying from Malacky during the reconstruction), L-39CM and L-39ZAM Albatros
1st Fighter Squadron (MiG-29)1992–2022
MiG-29 / MiG-29UBS Fulcrum
Soviet Central Group of Forces air units1968–1990
MiG-23, MiG-29, Su-22
Czechoslovak Air Force units
MiG-15, MiG-19, Su-7, MiG-21 (MiG-21MF, MiG-21UM and MiG-21US from 1991), L-39ZA Albatros (from 1991)
46th Wing (46. krídlo)Transportvleugel · actief
Alenia C-27J Spartan (2), Let L-410 Turbolet (6, several versions)
81st Wing F-16 element (deployed)Fighter squadrons (temporarily based) · active
F-16C/D Block 70
Military unit 4562 Kuchyňa1947–1992
Luftwaffe1939–1944
33rd Air Base (Su-25)1993–
Su-25K (12) and Su-25UBK (1)
Prešov · LZPW51st Wing
51st Wing (51. krídlo)Helikoptervleugel · actief
Sikorsky UH-60M Black Hawk, Mil Mi-17

Geen enkel apparaat voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.

Tijdlijn

Slovak Air Force milestones, 1914 to today

1939

March: the Slovak State forms its own air force from Czechoslovak aircraft. 23–31 March: war with Hungary. September: Slovak squadrons fly with the Germans against Poland.

1941

Summer: Slovak B-534 squadrons fight in Ukraine; later Slovak fighter pilots on Bf 109s serve on the Eastern Front until 1944.

1943

18 April: five airmen defect to Turkey in the air force’s only Avia B-71. By July Izidor Kovárik has 28 victories.

1944

29 August: the Slovak National Uprising begins. 2 September: František Cyprich’s B-534 downs a Ju 52. 17 September: the 1st Czechoslovak Fighter Air Regiment lands with 22 La-5FNs. 25 October: air operations end.

1968

After the Warsaw Pact invasion Sliač (Tri Duby until 1945) becomes a Soviet air base, which it remains until 1990.

1989

Czechoslovakia receives 18 MiG-29As and two MiG-29UBs.

1993

1 January: the Slovak Air Force is formed with about a third of the Czechoslovak fleet and half the MiG-29s. December: the first five MiG-29s from Russia, paid against Soviet debt, reach Sliač.

1995

1 March: Soviet-style regiments are replaced by wings and squadrons.

2003

1 January: the last MiG-21s are grounded; the Su-22 and Su-25 had gone in 2002.

2004

Slovakia joins NATO.

2006

19 January: an An-24 returning from KFOR crashes near Hejce, Hungary; 42 of 43 on board are killed.

2008

29 February: the upgrade of 12 MiG-29s to AS and UBS standard is completed.

2018

12 December: contract for 14 F-16 Block 70s, 1.589 billion euros.

2022

April: the S-300 battery goes to Ukraine. 31 August: the MiG-29s are grounded; from 1 September Czech and Polish fighters protect Slovak airspace.

2023

17 March: the government gives 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine; four fly there on 23 March.

2024

22 July: the first two F-16s land at Kuchyňa. 29 August: six Barak MX batteries approved. 19 December: used UH-60Ls chosen over the AH-1Z.

2025

2 April: fifth F-16 delivered. April: Col. Adolf Daubner becomes acting commander after Brig. Gen. Martin Kuterka leaves.

2026

16 April: 14th F-16 accepted; first Barak MX battery delivered. 25 August: two more UH-60Ms. 9 September: four more F-16Ds approved.

Gevechtsgeschiedenis

Elke oorlog die de Slowaakse luchtmacht en haar voorgangers hebben uitgevochten

Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.

7conflicten
1939Eerst
11Vliegtuig verloren
6Gedood
  • Slowaaks-Hongaarse Oorlog 1939 Flew fighter, reconnaissance and ground-attack sorties against the Hungarian advance from Spišská Nová Ves
  • Invasie van Polen 1939 Two or three squadrons, codenamed Ľalia (Lily), flew reconnaissance, bombing and escort for the German offensive
  • Oostfront 1941–1944 Fighter squadrons fought beside the Luftwaffe; reconnaissance units supported the Slovak army in the field
  • Luchtverdediging tegen geallieerde bombardementen 1944–1945 Slovak Bf 109 fighters rose against US and British raids on Slovak targets
  • Slowaakse Nationale Opstand 1944 Air cover, reconnaissance and ground attack for the insurgent army from inside the rebel territory

Bekijk het volledige gevechtsverslag

Toon teams

The Slovak Air Force display team

Each team has its own page: history, aircraft, the display, the accidents and the sources.

Formation aerobatic team · 1991–2004Biele AlbatrosySlovakia’s L-39 team from the Košice military aviation academy, which won awards across Europe in the 1990s before a fatal crash, budget pressure and a base…Read the Biele Albatrosy page
Vragen en antwoorden

Everything people ask about the Slovak Air Force

What is the Slovak Air Force called in Slovak?
Vzdušné sily Ozbrojených síl Slovenskej republiky, shortened to Vzdušné sily OS SR, the form the Slovak armed forces use for their air force commander’s page (as cited by Wikipedia). The English Wikipedia title, used for this page, is Slovak Air Force. The air force of the wartime Slovak State (1939–45) was the Slovenské vzdušné zbrane.
What fighter jets does the Slovak Air Force fly?
Alleen de F-16 Block 70: 12 single-seat F-16Cs and two two-seat F-16Ds, all accepted by April 2026. Ten are in Slovakia, temporarily at Kuchyňa while Sliač is rebuilt, and four are in Arizona for pilot training. Four more F-16Ds were approved on 9 September 2026. The MiG-29 was retired in 2022.
How much did Slovakia pay for its F-16s?
The contract of 12 December 2018 for 14 F-16 Block 70s was worth 1.589 billion euros, including training for 22 pilots and 160 technicians; the defence ministry’s 2024 release gave USD 1.87 billion. The four extra F-16Ds approved in September 2026 cost 390 million euros.
Why did Slovakia retire the MiG-29?
Because it could no longer be kept flying. Maintenance depended on Russia, cost 67,000–70,000 euros per flight hour by the figures reported, and left about four of the fleet airworthy on average, according to the Chief of the General Staff, Gen. Daniel Zmeko. The MiG-29's were grounded on 31 August 2022 after nearly 30 years and about 20,000 flying hours.
Did Slovakia give its MiG-29s to Ukraine?
Yes. On 17 March 2023 the government approved sending 13 MiG-29's, ten with engines and three without as spare parts sources, together with two 2K12 Kub launchers, a radar and 200 missiles. Ukrainian pilots flew the first four out on 23 March 2023. Wikipedia says Slovakia received 200 million euros from the European Peace Facility for the MiG package; the government spoke of more than 850 million euros in total compensation, including US equipment.
Who protects Slovak airspace?
Since 1 September 2022, NATO allies: Czech Gripens and Polish F-16s under an agreement signed on 27 August 2022, later joined by Hungary and Germany. Slovakia expects its own F-16's to take over air policing in 2027 and to fly Baltic Air Policing from the end of 2027.
Did Slovakia have an air force in the Second World War?
Yes. The Slovak State kept a small air force, the Slovenské vzdušné zbrane, which fought Hungary in March 1939, joined the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 and sent fighter squadrons to the Eastern Front; its top ace, Ján Režňák, was credited with 32 victories in Bf 109s. In August 1944 part of it joined the Slovak National Uprising against Germany.
What happened at Tri Duby in 1944?
Tri Duby, today Sliač, was the main airfield of the Slovak National Uprising from 6 September to 25 October 1944. Insurgent pilots flew B-534 biplanes and Bf 109s from it, the 1st Czechoslovak Fighter Air Regiment flew La-5FNs from Zolná and Tri Duby, and Soviet and American aircraft landed supplies and troops. On 2 September 1944 a Slovak B-534 shot down a Ju 52, reportedly the last air victory by a biplane fighter.
What was the worst Slovak military air accident?
The An-24 crash of 19 January 2006. The aircraft was bringing Slovak soldiers home from the KFOR mission in Kosovo to Košice when it flew into a hill near Hejce in Hungary; 42 of the 43 on board were killed. The investigation found the crew had descended too early towards the lights of Košice.
What air defence is Slovakia buying?
Six Israeli Barak MX batteries, approved on 29 August 2024 for 554 million euros, each with a radar, a fire control centre and three launchers of eight missiles; the first arrived in April 2026 and the rest follow to 2030. They replace the S-300PMU given to Ukraine in 2022 alongside the older 2K12 Kub.

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Photographs: Photo: U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. David Sherman / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: Mossback / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Andrej-airliner / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: simon butler from halesowen, uk / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Gerard van der Schaaf / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: FaceMePLS / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: Clemens Vasters from Viersen, Germany, Germany / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · Photo: AlfvanBeem / Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · Photo: Rob Schleiffert from Holland / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Boevaya mashina / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Jagermeister / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Dmitry Petrov / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo (Bf 109 in other markings shown): Kogo / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo (Avia B-534 in a museum shown): ZemplinTemplar / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo (Aero Ap.32 shown): Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo (Soviet La-5FN shown): Peer.Gynt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)