Three F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft of the Royal Netherlands Air Force landed on Wednesday at the „Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță” Air Base in Borcea, Romania.
They will be available to the European F-16 Training Center, which serves as an international hub for training F-16 aircraft pilots.
According to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense, the center will contribute to speeding up the training process for Romanian pilots, as the Romanian Army is preparing to receive 32 F-16 aircraft recently acquired from Norway.
However, pilots from allied and partner countries, including Ukraine, will also be trained at this center.
"At the same time, it will contribute to establishing common operational standards and strengthening the capacity of the North Atlantic Alliance to address the complex challenges in the Black Sea region and Eastern Europe," the Ministry of National Defense stated.
Under the collaboration agreement, the Romanian Ministry of Defense provides the 86th Air Base, training facilities, and host nation support, the Royal Netherlands Air Force provides F-16 aircraft, and Lockheed Martin Company provides instructors and maintenance.
In November 2023, the first five F-16 aircraft departed from the Netherlands and landed at the Borcea base to serve the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC).