Romania and the Netherlands Have Agreed to Create a Training Center for Ukrainian F-16 Pilots
In a joint letter, Romania and the Netherlands have put in writing their intentions to establish an educational center for the training of Ukrainian pilots on American F-16 fighter jets. The center will be established at the 'Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita' airbase (RoAF86) in Romania.
This this was reported by the official website of the Romanian Ministry of National Defense.
"The F-16 pilot training center at the 86th airbase will become a corresponding regional center, as already established by the signing of the Joint Declaration during the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July 2023. With this agreement, Romania joins other Alliance countries in supporting the training of Ukrainian pilots for future use of F-16 aircraft",- the announcement states.
The joint memorandum letter between the Ministry of National Defense of Romania, the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the company "Lockheed Martin" was signed during an informal meeting of EU defense ministers held in Toledo, Spain.
As reported by the Minister of National Defense of Romania, Angel Tilvar, the initiative will be focused on "supporting the development of Romanian pilots in the operation of F-16 aircraft" for a wide range of tasks and missions.
According to officials, the center will not only train Ukrainian pilots but also pilots from partner countries.
"Through this center, Romania commits to providing a high-quality training environment with access to technical resources and the latest know-how, not only for Romanian pilots but also for pilots from Alliance member and partner countries, including Ukraine",- emphasized the Minister of National Defense of Romania.
In turn, the Royal Netherlands Air Force will provide several of its own F-16 aircraft for training, which will be stationed at the 86th airbase (RoAF86) in Romania and are expected to significantly enhance the effectiveness of the preparatory process.
"For the Netherlands, it is extremely important to continue demonstrating our unity and support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression",- highlighted the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren.
The third party in the agreement is the American company "Lockheed Martin," specializing in aviation and aerospace technology segments, which commits to providing the "highest level of technical support" to the training center by involving their own instructors and engineering staff.
As a reminder, during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the Netherlands, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced the intention to transfer 42 American F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Simultaneously, on the same day, the Ministry of Defense of Denmark announced the intention to transfer an additional 19 fighter jets to Ukraine. The actual arrival dates of the aircraft in Ukraine have not yet been announced.