Romania will buy twelve more F-16 fighter jets, probably second-hand. This year the Ministry of Defence is preparing the procedures for the acquisition of the jets, Minister Mihnea Motoc said for Europa FM. The auction will take place next year, the official said.
“We aim to acquire the allies’ disposable surplus equipment that is in resources and that is efficient and operational. I cannot say that it would be second hand. We do not know where we will purchase them from. So far we have launched a request for information from all the allied countries which operate such jets, including from the US and from five European allies. We wait for their answers to see in which direction we move,” said Mihnea Motoc.
The first F-16 fighter jets from Portugal will reach Romania in September. They cost Romania some EUR 630 million, and the pilots have graduated from special training to get prepared to use them, Mihnea Motoc also said. The first F-16 jets will be based in Campia Turzii, Fetesti and Bacau.
On the other hand, the minister said about 1,000 US soldiers could reach Romania, part of the troop deployment in 2017, in order to secure Eastern European allies. The US forces will rotate constantly and will take part in military drills, minister Motoc said.