The Dutch and Romanian governments signed the formal delivery of the Netherlands’ latest F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons to the Romanian Air Force for the symbolic price of 1 euro.
The 18 former Dutch F-16s had already been received in the country and were flying for the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC), used to train Romanian and Ukrainian pilots to operate the aircraft for their respective air forces. Until today, these F-16s had remained under the auspices of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF), which agreed to deliver them two years ago for the aforementioned purpose.
Whereas the Romanian Air Force (RoAF) chose to supply the Baza 86 Aeriana Fetesti airbase along with increased support from the host nation. They have been supported by Lockheed Martin, which has provided aircraft maintenance personnel and training personnel for new F-16 pilots, while Daedalus Aviation Group, Draken International, GFD, ILIAS Solutions and BGI, LLC acted as subcontractors.
🎊We signed the official delivery of 18 F-16 combat aircraft from 🇳🇱 to 🇷🇴, for pilot training. We cooperate closely on security and defense. We are together on the eastern flank. We work together to support Ukraine. #togetherweareNATO @defense @DutchMFA @IonutMosteanu pic.twitter.com/m2KmnFK9Ps
— NL in Romania 🇳🇱🇷🇴 / Amb Willemijn van Haaften (@NLinRomania) November 3, 2025
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said: “The training center is a textbook example of successful collaboration. We are working with Romania and Lockheed Martin in a unique way to train Romanian and Ukrainian pilots. It is wonderful that our aging F-16s have been given a valuable new lease of life in the EFTC. Ukrainian pilots trained here are already making a significant contribution to protecting their country against horrific airstrikes. Russians.”
🇺🇦 The Ukrainian F-16 pilot said @United24media how he shot down six Russian missiles in a single combat mission, a first in the history of Ukrainian air combat. 💥#UkrainianAirForce #F16 #UkrainianPilots #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/K6BXVDtOWH
— Ukrainian Air Force (@KpsZSU) October 10, 2025
Ukraine received 24 ex-RNLAF F-16s between July 2024 and May 2025, and the pilots trained at the EFTC alongside new Romanian pilots. These aircraft have seen numerous actions since their first arrival and have been used for both offensive and defensive operations against the Russian Federation.
In fact, the planes carried out operations in the Kursk region, used for the delivery of precision munitions against Russian targets, as well as to shoot down the Russian Su-35 air superiority fighter, possibly with the help of a SAAB 340 early warning and control aircraft.
Ukraine continues to train its pilots at the EFTC as more and more F-16s are delivered from its partner countries in Europe and abroad. So far, the F-16s promised to Ukraine include the aforementioned 24 from the Netherlands, 30 from Belgium, 19 from Denmark and 14 from Norway, for a total of 87. Norway has also delivered the 14 F-16s to Ukraine, with the rest of its former fleet sold to the RoAF.
The transfer of 18 aircraft to the RoAF is a significant moment as it increases Ukraine’s dependence on its Carpathian partner, while also increasing the size of Romania’s total F-16 force. The official transfer documents for these 18 fighters were signed on November 3, 2025 in Bucharest by the Romanian head of the General Directorate of Armaments, Brigadier General Ion Cornel Plesa, and Linda Ruseler, director of movable property domains at the Dutch Ministry of Finance.
The RNLAF’s first F-16s, a mix of single-seat AMs and two-seat BMs, arrived at Baza 86 on 7 November 2025. Their first task was to provide a refresher course for F-16 instructors, before they could be used to train Romanian and Ukrainian pilots for active service. He first graduated pilots of the EFTC in July 2024, allowing for the first deliveries of Ukraine’s new fighter aircraft.
Carpathian vipers
The RoAF has focused its modernization on the F-16, sourcing fighters from several European states, including Portugal, Norway and now the Netherlands. The last five years have seen the birth of the Carpathian Viper force and a sudden increase in their numbers, forcing the creation of the EFTC to deal with the increase in aircraft and the need for pilots to man them.
The RoAF first went to Portugal for a total of 12 F-16AM/BM, nine single-seat and three two-seat, which were delivered between August 2020 and March 2021 under the Peace Carpathian One program. Interestingly, these aircraft had been sold second-hand to Portugal from the United States. A second deal, Peace Carpathian Two, was concluded in January 2020, in which Portugal delivered five additional aircraft to the RoAF.
In December 2021, a third agreement was closed, this time with the Norwegian government, worth €452 million, for the delivery of 32 F-16AM/BM aircraft under the Peace Carpathian Three Programme. These aircraft were delivered between 2023 and 2024, rapidly increasing the size of the RoAF, especially given the retirement of a fleet of Mig-21 ‘LanceR’ fighters that had been in service from the mid-1990s until May 2023.
Until now, F-16AMs have focused on quick reaction alert (QRA) in Romanian airspace, but are beginning to move abroad to take on air surveillance in the Baltics as part of their commitments to NATO. So far, the RoAF has completed deployments to Šiauliai, Lithuania, in March-July 2023 and March-June 2025flying alongside Portuguese and Polish partners, respectively.
Flying a mixed load of AIM-9X and AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, they intercepted a variety of Russian fighters, including Su-27 Flankers, demonstrating how far the RoAF had come in such a short time. NATO’s last air policing mission took place in 2007 with several Mig-21s, but the F-16 allows the RoAF to get back into this game at a level that is on par with the Russian military.
Initially, the RoAF had difficulty maintaining QRA at home and NATO air surveillance abroad, but as the size of the combat force increased this allowed for greater flexibility in deployments. The future of the RoAF appears to be even brighter than that of Western European aircraft.
On November 21, 2024, the Romanian government confirmed its intention to purchase 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A aircraft through a foreign military sale with the United States. Romania officially became the 20th customer of the F-35, with first deliveries expected in 2031. The purchase was valued at $6.5 billion and includes more than just the aircraft, with logistical support for pilot training, flight simulators, and air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions included in the cost, representing a significant defense investment.
The Romanian army will receive a huge budget in 2024, a budget that exceeds 20 billion euros for defense (almost 45% more than the amounts allocated in 2023).
Below are some ongoing (contracted) programs:
• 32 x F-35 Lightning II (worth $6.5 billion);
[1/16] pic.twitter.com/Zh9VC7EYJx
— Dragoș 🇷🇴 (@RomaniaU93389) January 9, 2024
It is speculation whether the RoAF will get rid of some of its F-16s once these aircraft are delivered, but, if all are retained, Romania would become a major player in European air security, rivaling Sweden’s fighter fleet and having more fighters than the Netherlands, Belgium or Norway. Romania is certainly the one to watch in this new era of geopolitical tension.
