The Czech government will allow the country's fighter jets to protect neighboring Slovakia's airspace starting in September, the defense ministry said, Reuters reported.

Slovakia has sought help from its NATO allies as it hopes to retire its Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets in August as part of long-standing plans to modernize its armed forces.

Slovak government officials said the old planes could be sent to Ukraine.

The Czech Defense Ministry said the Czech army's Gripen JAS-39 fighters will provide patrols of Slovakian airspace starting in September until at least the end of 2023. Poland is also expected to take part.

More details will be provided in a joint declaration of the countries, which will be signed soon.

The Slovakian government ordered F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. in 2018 to replace the aging MiG-29 aircraft.

The first U.S.-made planes were expected to arrive this year and the shipment would be completed next year, but the delivery is now expected to take place in 2024.