TSAMTO, December 14. The Romanian Ministry of Defense has sent a request to the country's parliament for the allocation of funds in the amount of 454 million euros for the purchase of 32 F-16 fighters from the Norwegian Air Force.
As indicated in the request of the Romanian Foreign Ministry to the parliament, which came to the disposal of the media, in order to continue the phased procurement of F-16 aircraft from the Armed Forces of NATO member countries, in 2019, relevant requests for information were sent to the governments of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Greece. The request provided for the purchase of 16 to 32 aircraft.
Based on the results of the analysis of the responses, the only solution that is currently possible was the purchase of 32 F-16 aircraft in the M6.5.2 configuration (surpasses the configuration of the aircraft available in the Romanian Air Force) from the Norwegian Air Force in a package with equipment, logistical support and training.
The cost of the aircraft themselves is estimated at 354 million euros, logistics support and the supply of special equipment from the United States for modernization – 100 million euros.
Despite the fact that the operational life of the Norwegian Air Force fighters is about 50 years, they are more efficient than the 17 F-16 aircraft received by the Romanian Air Force during 2016-2021 from the Portuguese Air Force. Before the transfer, the ex-Portuguese F-16s were upgraded to the M.5.2R configuration. Norwegian aircraft in the M6.5.2 configuration, in particular, provide the launch of the JDAM family UAB and the AIM-120D AMRAAM UR.
The Romanian company Aerostar Bacau will be engaged in the overhaul of the purchased aircraft and engine maintenance.
The Norwegian Air Force is gradually removing the existing F-16s from service as part of the purchase of F-35A Lightning-2 fighters. At the moment, about 50 F-16A/B out of 72 units purchased in 1975 remain in service.
At the end of November, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense signed an agreement on the sale of up to 12 F-16 fighters with the American company Draken International.
As reported by the Central Intelligence Agency, in 2013, the Romanian Defense Ministry, with the approval of the United States, signed a contract for the supply of the first 12 F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon fighters from the Portuguese Air Force to replace the outdated MiG-21. The agreement with a total value of 628 million euros entered into force on September 30, 2013. The delivery of the aircraft was made from September 2016 to September 2017.
In December 2019, a contract worth 130 million euros was signed for the supply of five additional fighters. The first pair of planes arrived in Romania in August 2020, the fifth car - in March 2021.
