The first f-16 fighters will arrive in Romania by the end of next year, Romanian DefMin Mircea Dusa said in Cluj-Napoca “Gemina” 4 Infantry Division on Monday.
Dusa also said that a new Romanian contingent of pilots and technical staff would go for training to Portugal in the upcoming period. “Our pilots will have another training time in the United States of America, and we’ll have the first F-16 fighters in Romania by the end of 2016,” Dusa explained.
The DefMin informed that an important investment is also undergoing at Fetesti airfield so that its infrastructure should be compatible with F-16 aircrafts.
At the same time, minister Dusa announced the frigate endowment program is due to start this year. “There is an ambitious plan to provide the land forces with new weapons- armoured vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, transport vehicles,” Dusa unveiled.
23 officers and military masters have left for Portugal in September last year to attend a training class for piloting F-16 aircrafts. A total of 80 Romanian militaries are due to attend the course for 2 years.