Romania should after Poland and recently the Czech Republic now the third Eastern European country to receive the fifth-generation F-35 stealth platform from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin from the USA.
While Poland has already placed a firm order for 32 F-35s in 2020 (delivery from 2024) and Prague sent a corresponding “letter of request” for 24 aircraft to the US administration last October, the Romanian Ministry of Defense is planning to procure two squadrons of 16 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets each. According to Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr, parliamentary approval has also been requested for an option for a third squadron. The basis for this step was a so-called “Authorization to the Ministry” (MApN) issued by the Romanian Supreme Defense Council CSAT, chaired by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, on 11 April. Working title: “Concept for achieving operational air defense capability with 5th generation multi-role aircraft”.
Inflow possibly from 2032
The deal would be handled as a “sale of foreign military sales” (FMS) – as is customary for US defense procurement – and requires the prior approval of the US State Department. The value of the planned procurement is estimated at around six billion euros, financed exclusively from the MApN budget. Minister Tîlvăr announced that the F-35 project will be discussed in parliament in Bucharest in the fall. If all goes well, the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) could be signed with the American authorities in 2024. Deliveries could then begin in 2032 – assuming the same US procedure as for Poland and the Czech Republic. As with the other users, the first one or two aircraft would probably initially remain in the USA to train pilots and technicians. Tîlvăr: “From a time perspective, all of this may seem a long way off. But we all know very well that in the military sector, large-scale procurements and military capabilities are not produced off the shelf.”
US aircraft already in service
The former Eastern Bloc and now NATO country Romania already has experience of operating American aircraft: on May 15 – after 60 years – the last MiG-21 Lancers (a local modification, see picture above from 2019) were decommissioned. As a replacement, the country operates 17 F-16A aircraft, which were purchased from Portugal. In addition, 32 ex-Norwegian F-16 AM/BM fighters were procured, including spare engines and logistical support. Following a Mid-Life Update (MLU) Block 15 program, the aircraft are due to arrive in the country in the near future.
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