Final ex-Portuguese F-16 arrives in Romania
Chief of the Defence Staff Lt Gen Daniel Petrescu at the reception ceremony for the F-16 aircraft at Borcea Air Base, 26 March 2021. (Photo: Romanian MoD)
Landing at Borcea Air Base marks the completion of an eight-year programme to acquire second-hand F-16s for the Romanian Air Force. The next step is an upgrade in 2023-2025.
The 17th and final ex-Portuguese Air Force F-16 multirole fighter aircraft for Romania landed in-country at Borcea Air Base on 25 March.
This marked the completion of a programme that began in 2013 when the Romanian Air Force ordered 12 F-16 Block 15 MLU fighters (nine F-16AMs and three F-16BMs) from Portugal for €628 million ($701 million) deal.
A second order for five F-16s (including one twin-seater) followed in a 2019 contract (worth an estimated $250 million according to Shephard Defence Insight).
Romania is committed to upgrading all 17 aircraft to the M6XR standard, with support from Lockheed Martin in a $175.4 million FMS deal.
‘The upgrading to the M6XR configuration is scheduled to be executed over 2023-2025, with the delivery by the American partner of the equipment and software package dedicated to the F-16 aircraft procured by Romania,’ the Romanian MoD noted on 26 March.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Air Warfare
-
![October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age]()
October crewed air review: Israel’s Apache deal bets on crewed aviation in an uncrewed age
Israel’s $1 billion Apache helicopter order highlights the continued demand for crewed attack aviation, while growing integration with uncrewed systems could shape future modernisation and procurement decisions.
-
![US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable]()
US Navy keeps Super Hornet production restart option open, but without defined cost or timetable
The US Navy plans to preserve Super Hornet and Growler tooling as production winds down, with restart costs unassessed and final F/A-18 deliveries expected in late 2027.
-
![Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence]()
Connecting the layers: how networks can secure the future of European air defence
The rise of drones has reshaped the threat landscape for all European militaries. For industry, future defensive strategies must carefully balance a mix of passive and active measures to address the evolving danger, based around a highly integrated and responsive network of sensors and effectors.
-
![October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges]()
October drone digest: France and Lithuania advance loitering munition procurements as global spending surges
Recent procurement developments in France and Lithuania highlight the growing demand for loitering munitions, with global annual spending forecast to increase nearly 50-fold between 2020 and 2029.
-
![Germany could secure greater influence through sixth-generation fighter partnership with Sweden and Spain]()
Germany could secure greater influence through sixth-generation fighter partnership with Sweden and Spain
Germany is assessing potential pathways for a future sixth-generation fighter capability, including discussions with GCAP partners and Sweden.
-
![Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up]()
Quantum Systems details 480km/h Ukrainian interceptor as production scales up
Quantum Systems’s Ukraine-made interceptor SPYS is thought to cost approximately 10 times less than Russia's jet-powered uncrewed aerial systems and is being produced at scale.
