Report by Robin Polderman, photo by Alexandru Aioanei/Baza 71
The final F-16 for the 48th Fighter Squadron of the Romanian Air Force (RoAF) landed at the 71st ‘General Emanoil Ionescu’ Air Base, in Câmpia Turzii, north western Romania, on Thursday 30 January 2025. The F-16AM in question, tailnumber 1619, is the 16th aircraft for the unit.
In November of 2022, Norway and Romania signed a deal for the transfer of 32 surplus F-16AM/BM aircraft to the RoAF. The contract, including the delivery of spare parts and support equipment, was valued at € 388 million (US$ 400 million). The type replaced the obsolete MiG-21 LanceR aircraft in use at various airbases across Romania.
The delivery marks the arrival of the 33rd F-16 for the RoAF, consisting of seventeen former Portuguese aircraft with the remainder formerly belonging to the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF). A quick calculation reveals sixteen more former-RNoAF aircraft are still to be received.
The aircraft are delivered in operational condition, their available resource sufficient for at least a 10-year transition period to the F-35 fifth-generation aircraft on order. In November of 2024, the Romanian government approved the purchase of 32 examples of the F-35 Lightning II, with deliveries expected to commence during 2031.
Earlier, on 15 September of the previous year, the US State Department approved the potential sale of the F-35A to Romania.