Two Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon bomber aircraft have landed at the 71st Air Base of Câmpia Turzii and will be assigned to the 571st Fighter Squadron at the 57th Air Base of Mihail Kogălniceanu in Romania.
The 571st Squadron will be organized at the 71st air base and will reach full operational capacity (FOC) at the 57th air base once the infrastructure project is achieved.
These new aircraft join those already in service in the Romanian military to strengthen national security by conducting air space defense missions in collaboration with NATO, during times of peace and in crisis situations.
The Romanian Government signed a contract with the Government of the Kingdom of Norway to acquire 32 F-16 aircraft, with logistics support and services from the USA.
The operational aircraft will have resources for a transition period of 10 years before transition to fifth-generation aircraft, representing a transfer of capability between NATO allied states.
So far, 18 F-16 AM/BM Block 10/15 have been delivered, with 16 of them assigned to the 48 Squadron of Câmpia Turzii and the two remaining ones to the 571 Squadron of Mihail Kogălniceanu.
The F-16AM/BM M6.5.2
Under the “Air Force Multirole Aircraft” program, Romania has purchased 32 F-16 fighter-bombers from Norway, with initial logistic support and a package of complementary goods and services provided by the United States of America.
The ex-Norwegian fighters, before delivery to Romania, undergo complete revision and maintenance and are brought to the Romanian M6.5.2 configuration with the support of the United States with the installation of cryptographic devices KY-58M and KIV-78.
The ex-Norwegian F-16s are capable of employing advanced armaments such as JASSM, JDAM, AIM-120D, and AIM-9X and have received the Link 16, GPS, AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN interface, and the AN/ALR-56M Radar Warning Receiver system as well the ability to interface with other types of pods.
The fighters received from Norway will be added to the Squadron mounted on the F-16AM/BM M5.2R already ex-Portuguese.
Source and photo credit @Romanian Ministry of Defense
