Six more Dutch F-16 fighter jets will arrive at the European Training Center based in Romania in the coming months. This was announced today by the Romanian Minister of Defense Angel Talvar after a meeting with his Dutch counterpart Kaisa Olongren within the framework of the 60th Munich Security Conference, Agerpress reported.
In November 2023, a European training center for the F-16 was opened in Romania at the Borca Air Force base near Fetești, 150 kilometers east of the capital Bucharest, BTA recalled. The Netherlands provided between 12 and 18 F-16 aircraft for the program, which will also train Ukrainian pilots. The fighter’s maker, Lockheed Martin, sent instructors and support staff.
The defense ministers of Romania and the Netherlands discussed at their meeting today a wide range of topics of common interest, with particular emphasis placed on security in the Black Sea region, especially in the context of the aggressive war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the Ministry of National Defense of Romania in a press release quoted by Agerpress.
Minister Angel Talvar has condemned the Russian attacks on the Ukrainian port infrastructure along the Danube River and presented Romania’s efforts to maintain the safety of civilian maritime traffic. In this context, he drew attention to the tripartite agreement between Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria to counter the dangers posed by floating sea mines in the Black Sea.
Also discussed were progress on joint training programs, the participation of the Dutch military in 2022 and 2023 in the French-led NATO battle group in Romania, the deployment of three MQ-9 Reaper drones to Romania in 2024, which is a first for the Netherlands, as well as the deployment of aircraft to the European F-16 Training Center in Romania and their role in strengthening regional defense and security, the press release of the Ministry of National Defense stated.
As for the support for Ukraine, the Romanian Minister of Defense recalled Romania’s firm support for the training of Ukrainian pilots at the European F-16 Training Center in Fetest.
Minister Talvar expressed his gratitude for the strong military-political dialogue between Romania and the Kingdom of the Netherlands through continued support for strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in the Black Sea region, the press release stated.
“I thanked the minister for the decision of the government in The Hague to contribute significantly to strengthening the defense of NATO’s eastern flank and in particular the Black Sea region by deploying troops and high-tech military equipment to Romania, including F-16 aircraft for the European Training Center of the F-16,” the minister said.
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2024-02-17 19:52:00
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