The Armed Forces Academy of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik hosted a professional workshop on 24–25 September 2025 in cooperation with the U.S. Institute for Security Governance (ISG) and experts from the Slovak Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence. The main objective was to develop a foundational framework for future education and sustainment management related to the introduction of F-16 Block 70 multi-role fighter aircraft into the Slovak Air Force.

The workshop followed meetings at the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic and a site visit to Malacky Air Base, where ISG experts and representatives of the Slovak Armed Forces analyzed current maintenance, logistics, and sustainment processes for the F-16 program.

During the two-day program at the Academy, participants focused on sustainment models and processes, development of learning objectives, definition of performance standards, and project task allocation. The result is a shared vision for a future education and management framework that will help build effective, interoperable, and sustainable F-16 capabilities for the Slovak Armed Forces and NATO.

Brigadier General Aurel Sabó, Rector of the Armed Forces Academy, emphasized the importance of the cooperation:
“The workshop demonstrated that by combining our partners’ expertise with the potential of the Academy, we can develop solutions with a direct impact on the capabilities of our armed forces. It is an important step toward strengthening our defense readiness.”

The event was considered a success, achieving all its objectives. The joint team of experts from the Academy, the Ministry of Defence, the Slovak Air Force, and ISG will continue their cooperation through a series of follow-on meetings until a final solution fully aligned with the needs of the Slovak Armed Forces is developed.