Orders for the F-16 fighter version Block 70/72 will be completed at the factory in Greenville. Nearly 400 jobs will be created to support this production line, almost double the workforce employed at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Greenville. This will be the only surviving F-16 production line in the world. It was set up three years after Lockheed Martin discontinued the line in Fort Worth, Texas. Recently, representing five partner countries, the US Air Force signed a contract with Lockheed Martin worth $14 billion to build 128 F-16s by 2026. The first F-16s of this line will ship in 2022 and production will increase steadily in the following years. These aircraft will be delivered to Bahrain, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Taiwan territories. The F-16 Block 70/72 will be integrated with active electronically scanned array radar (AESA), advanced medium-range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) with longer strike capability, and a suitable expanded fuel tank. with the fuselage. Even after 2026, the US is expected to receive more orders for the F-16 due to its reasonable price and versatility.

To show solidarity with neighboring Czech Republic (Czech), Slovakia expelled three Russian diplomats, the news agency. TASS reporting. Citing sources from Slovak media on April 22, TASS said Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger had notified Slovakia of the deportation order and asked three Russian diplomats to leave Slovakia “in the next seven days”. Slovakia’s decision came after neighboring Czech country called on European allies to support Prague’s stance in expelling 18 Russian diplomats for accusing Moscow of being involved in a number of ammunition explosions. in the Czech Republic in 2014. Russian Embassy in Bratislava (Slovakia). Photo: AFP Slovakia is an ally in the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Bloc (NATO). The Czech Republic and Slovakia had a period of forming a unified state, known as Czechoslovakia, before a peaceful split in 1993. Prime Minister Heger explained that Slovakia’s decision to target diplomatic missions “did not respect the” principles of international law “, and stressed that the Bratislava government” desperately needed to do everything possible. to ensure security and for diplomatic missions working in Slovakia to comply with the laws (of Slovakia) and international agreements “. Accordingly, the decision to expel Russian diplomats was made by Slovakia “based on information from intelligence agencies (of Slovakia) who cooperated closely with the partner’s intelligence agencies. “and” based on the situation in the geopolitical space and current events in the Czech Republic – a country where Slovakia shows its solidarity and support “. Slovakia Jaroslav Nad noted that Bratislava’s decision was not a “cliché act” but was based on the fact that the activities of three Russian diplomats “went beyond established rules. in the international environment “. Responding to reporters’ questions about Slovakia’s move, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow was “deeply disappointed by Bratislava’s unfriendly actions”. Ms. Zakharova accused Slovakia of “showing false solidarity” with an act Moscow called a “fabrication incident” presented by Prague. Russia has repeatedly denied its involvement in military incidents in the Czech Republic and has taken diplomatic retaliation measures. The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry also said that Moscow will soon take measures to retaliate against the deportation order of Bratislava.