Another F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, purchased by Romania from the Kingdom of Norway, landed today at the Campia Turzii air base, the Romanian Ministry of National Defense announced, specifying that this completes the completion of the second fighter squadron with all 16 aircraft, Agerpres reported, quoted by BTA.
The purchase of the new batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and the accompanying package of goods and services ensures the enhancement of Romania's security by implementing the defense of the national and NATO airspace in peacetime and in crisis situations, the ministry noted.
The Romanian government has signed a contract with the government of the Kingdom of Norway for the purchase of 32 F-16 aircraft, along with initial logistical support and an additional package of goods and services (from the United States government).
The aircraft are being delivered in operational condition, with their available resource guaranteeing their operability for at least The 10-year transition period to fifth-generation fighters. Thus, the purchase of the Norwegian aircraft represents a practical transfer of capabilities between two NATO members, the statement noted.
In November 2022, the Romanian government signed a contract with the government of the Kingdom of Norway for the purchase of 32 F-16 aircraft worth 380 million euros. The arrival of the last aircraft in the batch is scheduled for the end of 2025. The fighters purchased from Norway are added to the 17 F-16 aircraft that Romania bought second-hand from Portugal in 2016.
Romanian media noted today that the country already has two full squadrons of F-16 fighters (the 53rd Squadron at the Borcea Air Base and the 48th Squadron at Campia Turzii) and is preparing for the transition to the fifth-generation F-35 aircraft.
According to the most optimistic forecasts, the first F-35 fighter could be delivered to Romania in 2030, notes the Ziare website. In November last year, the Romanian parliament approved a law for the purchase of 32 American fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, considered the most advanced in the world, and later that month, Romania and the United States signed a protocol to launch the Romanian Air Force's transition program to fifth-generation aircraft. The purchase is estimated at $6.5 billion.