Romania receives another pair of ex-Portuguese F-16s
Two more ex-Portuguese Air Force F-16 multirole fighter aircraft were delivered to Romania on 30 October, with one more to follow in Q1 2021.
The latest deliveries are the third and fourth aircraft in a batch of five, ordered in 2019 to augment the Romanian Air Force inventory of 12 F-16 Block 15 MLU fighters (nine F-16AM and three F-16BM). These were also procured from Portugal in 2013 in a €628 million ($701 million) deal.
The 2019 contract also included logistical services, technical engineering and support to modernise all 17 aircraft to the M6XR standard, the Romanian MoD noted, adding that ‘complementary goods and services’ were procured from the US via the FMS programme.
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
More from Air Warfare
-
Why Embraer’s C-390 Millennium trajectory continues to climb (updated 2026)
The medium airlift aircraft is swiftly becoming the top pick for an array of countries wishing to enhance their tactical transport capabilities.
-
USAF’s T-7A Red Hawk programme progresses with low-rate production to start in 2026
The T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer for the US Air Force reaching Milestone C is the first step towards production for the first batch of 14 aircraft, with training expected to start by 2028.
-
Baykar’s Akinci: Local participation and export freedom drive $4.63 billion success story
The success of the Akinci drone stems from Turkey’s push for domestically produced components – which has led to fewer export restrictions – and from manufacturer Baykar’s willingness to coproduce the drone with customers’ domestic industries.
-
Lithuania air focus: Majority of $235.98 million drone investment to be spent before 2030
Lithuania has committed significant funding towards expanding its UAV capabilities, with more than $54 million already spent and substantial additional investment planned through to 2029. Alongside domestic procurement, the country has also acquired various drones to support Ukraine.
-
Japan’s Terra Drone expands Ukrainian ties to break into global defence market
Following its investment into WinnyLab, Terra Drone unveiled a new long-range fixed-wing addition to its interceptor drone portfolio as it seeks to bring combat-proven technology back to Japan and expand into global export markets.