TSAMTO, December 30. The Romanian Parliament granted the country's Foreign Ministry preliminary permission to begin the procurement procedure for the country's Air Force of 32 F-16 fighters in the M6.5.2 configuration from the Norwegian Air Force.
According to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the purchase provides for accompanying logistical support, as well as a package of equipment and services for the modernization of aircraft (provided by the United States).
In early December, the Romanian Ministry of Defense sent a request to Parliament for approval of the procedure for the purchase of aircraft from the Norwegian Air Force, taking into account their technical compatibility with the existing fighters of the 53rd Fighter Squadron, improved configuration and modernization capabilities.
The aircraft will be delivered in a fully operational condition with a resource that ensures their operation during a transition period of at least 10 years before the delivery of 5th generation fighters.
The purchase budget is about 454 million euros without VAT, including both the package proposed by the Norwegian government and the equipment for the modernization of fighter jets that will be purchased in the United States. Previously, the cost of the aircraft themselves is estimated at 354 million euros, logistics support and the supply of special equipment for modernization from the United States – 100 million euros.
The decision provides for participation in the modernization and maintenance of fighters of the Romanian company Aerostar S.A., designated by the Romanian government as the F-16 aircraft maintenance center.
The F-16s were in service with the Norwegian Air Force for more than 40 years before they were replaced by new F-35s. At the moment, out of 72 F-16A/B purchased in 1975, 57 aircraft remain in service. In 2019, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense instructed the Defense Procurement Agency NDMA (Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency) to dispose of aircraft in the most profitable way for the state. As a result, it was decided to sell some of them to Romania's MNOs. Before the aircraft are delivered, they must undergo maintenance. In the near future, the parties will begin to finalize the terms of the contract. Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services has been selected as a strategic partner and will provide support, maintenance and training of technical personnel.
According to the plans, the first aircraft will be delivered to the Romanian Air Force in 2023, and the remaining ones - during 2024. The sale of the F-16 requires the approval of the US authorities.
As reported by TSAMTO, in 2013, the Romanian Ministry of Defense, 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 aircraft were delivered 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 in March 2021.
