Polish F-16s will guard Slovak skies, minister announces

From September 1 two Polish F-16 fighters will begin patrolling the airspace over Slovakia under an agreement between Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Poland's defence minister said on Saturday in Slovakia.

The agreement, sealed earlier on Saturday in Slovakia's Malacky-Kuchyna airbase by the three countries' defence ministers, foresees aid to Slovakia by the Polish and Czech air forces in case of threats to the country's airspace.

"We support one another, we all face the same threats in our part of Europe, and we are doing our best to respond... From September 1 a pair of Polish F-16s will add Slovakia to their patrol route," Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said after the signing of the accord.