Bucharest, September 26, 2023 – According to well-informed sources, the Ministry of Defense of Romania has officially requested the approval of the Parliament to start the program to purchase 32 F-35 fighter jets from the United States. The initiative will benefit from $6.5 billion in funding. The decision to buy the latest American jets was made during a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) in April.
The program approved by CSAT provides for the purchase in two stages for the F-35. Two squadrons (32 aircraft) will be procured in the first phase and one squadron (16 aircraft) will be procured in the second phase.
The $6.5 billion will be spent on aircraft, engines, logistical support, pilot and technical staff training and flight simulators.
We remind you that, at the beginning of August, MApN sent to the Romanian Parliament the request for approval for the purchase in the initial stage of 32 multi-role V-generation F-35 fighter jets. The estimated cost of the program is 6.5 billion dollars.
At the time, the Minister of Defense, Angel Tîlvăr, stated that “the first step is being taken to equip the Romanian Air Force with a state-of-the-art capability that will give Romania a consolidated status in the security architecture on the Eastern Flank and in the Black Sea region” .
Romania took the first official steps towards the F-35 Lightning II, after at the beginning of April the Supreme Council of Defense of the Country (CSAT) approved “the concept of achieving the operational capability of air defense with V-generation multi-role aircraft”.
Currently, after the withdrawal of the MiG-21 aircraft from service, Romania operates a squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcon consisting of 17 aircraft purchased from Portugal.
32 Norwegian F-16 AM/BM aircraft in M6.5.2 configuration were also purchased, and the contract also includes spare engines and logistical support. They will arrive in the country in the next period.
Both the first squadron purchased from Portugal and the other two that will come from Norway are being put through the Mid-Life Update (MLU) Block 15 program.
According to some sources, the countries that have bought or will buy F-35 planes are: the United States of America, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Israel, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, Norway, Poland, Romania and the Netherlands. Turkey’s request was canceled as a result of acts of aggression by the regime led by Erdogan.
The total number of F-35s ordered or delivered to date is more than 900.
