Three F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft purchased from the Kingdom of Norway landed Thursday at the 86th Air Base "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita" and will be assigned to the 571st Fighter Squadron of the 57th "Captain Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino" Air Base in Mihail Kogalniceanu, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) announced in a press release sent to AGERPRES.
The aircraft join those already in service with the Romanian Air Force and will contribute to strengthening the country's air defence capability, the cited source informs.
This new batch of aircraft is part of the contract signed between the Romanian Government and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway for the purchase of 32 F-16s, along with initial logistic support and a complementary package of goods and services provided by the United States Government.
The aircraft are expected to remain in service for at least 10 years, until the transition to fifth-generation fighter jets. The acquisition of the Norwegian F-16s thus represents a transfer of capabilities between two NATO allies.
So far, 21 aircraft have been delivered: 16 are assigned to the 48th Fighter Squadron at Câmpia Turzii, and five will enter the 571st Fighter Squadron at Mihail Kogalniceanu.
Delivery of the full fleet is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
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