A public debate has started in Slovakia over the potential unification of the Czech and Slovak air forces, modeled on the joint air command of the Benelux countries.
Slovak military media, Future Army, published an article about this.
“Recently, the air forces of Slovakia and Czechia have seen significant upgrades. While Bratislava is already protected by new American F-16 Block 70 fighter jets, Prague is preparing infrastructure for the arrival of the F-35. It is therefore reasonable to ask whether it is time to unify the air forces of Slovakia and Czechia, following the Benelux model,” the article stated.
Slovakia has ordered the latest F-16 Block 70 jets. Given the proximity of Russian air operations, including missile strikes near Slovakia’s borders, analysts argue the country would benefit from a more capable aircraft — one with a powerful radar that could act as an improvised airborne early warning system near the eastern frontier.
Meanwhile, Czechia plans to replace its leased JAS 39 Gripen jets with F-35s. However, operational costs are a concern: the cost per flight hour is estimated at $4,000–$7,000 for the Gripen, less than $20,000 for the F-16, and approximately $45,000 for the F-35.
The rising costs have sparked debate in the Czech Republic over whether the F-35 fleet will require a secondary, more affordable aircraft for routine operations. Former Czech Deputy Defense Minister Daniel Koštoval has suggested the Gripen as that platform.
Why not the F-16?
The publication notes that integrating the Czech and Slovak air forces may not require complex bureaucracy. A joint air command could be established by international treaty, enabling aircraft to operate from across both countries, from the Šumava mountains to the Tatras.
The process is further eased by the fact that both nations are NATO members and their air forces operate within the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence (NATO IAMD) framework.
Pilots are trained under NATO standards, communicate in English, and use U.S. measurement systems. They are also culturally and linguistically aligned, and many have existing personal connections through joint training.
The 1st Squadron of the Slovak Air Force’s 81st Tactical Wing and the future two squadrons of the Czech Air Force’s 21st Wing could form the core of a joint unit. A smaller number of Slovak F-16s — two squadrons of three aircraft — could be stationed at Čáslav air base alongside Czech F-35s, with reciprocal deployment of Czech F-35s in Slovakia.
In this scenario, 18 F-35s and 6 F-16s would operate from Čáslav, while 8 F-16s and 6 F-35s would be based at the renovated Sliač airfield. Personnel rotations would be balanced to accommodate deployments outside national borders.
Future cooperation could include pilot training, with Czech pilots training in Košice and Slovak pilots at the Aviation Training Center in Pardubice.
The partnership could also extend to shared use of transport aircraft — both countries operate the C-390 — and to coordination of missile defense systems under the European Sky Shield initiative, of which both are founding members.
