The U.S. government has authorized the sale of new F-35A stealth fighters to equip the Romanian Air Force. This follows a recent notification from the Department of State to the U.S. Congress seeking approval for the transaction under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program.
In mid-2023, specifically in August, the Romanian government officially announced its intention to begin negotiations with the United States for the acquisition of fifth-generation fighters. These plans are part of a major modernization and re-equipment program for their armed forces, which is replacing various old assets. For example, Romania has been incorporating F-16 fighters to replace its MiG-21 Lancer and has launched new Patriot air defense missile batteries. Additionally, in the land domain, one of the recent milestones has been the acquisition of new K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers from South Korea. Efforts have also been made to acquire new main battle tanks, with candidates including the M1A2 Abrams and K2 Black Panther, which will replace their T-85 Bison.
Although there had been no updates in recent months, the Romanian government advanced the necessary legislative supports to ensure the potential realization of the deal. In August 2023, the Romanian Ministry of Defense presented its initiative to Parliament to authorize the acquisition of the stealth fighters, planning to initially incorporate a first batch of 32 units, with an additional 16 to follow at a later stage.
According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Romanian government requested the purchase of up to thirty-two (32) F-35A stealth fighters from the U.S. With Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor, the deal amounts to $7.2 billion and includes a significant logistical support package.
The Department of State indicated that, “The proposed sale will enhance Romania’s ability to address current and future threats, better equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions, while improving interoperability with the United States and other NATO members. Romania will have no difficulty integrating these items and services into its armed forces.”
Finally, in the context of the regional situation marked by the Russia-Ukraine war, if the acquisition proceeds, Romania would become the third Eastern European country to choose and incorporate the F-35A as a fifth-generation fighter, following Poland and the Czech Republic. This would increase NATO’s deterrence and response capabilities on its eastern flank, especially in operations in the Black Sea region.
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