BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania is considering opening a regional training hub for F-16 fighter jet pilots which would ultimately be available to its NATO allies and partners, including Ukraine, the country’s supreme defence council (CSAT) said on Thursday.
Romania, both a European Union and NATO member, has raised defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product this year from 2%, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The country, which shares a 650-km (400 mile) border with Ukraine, is host to a U.S. ballistic missile defence system and, as of last year, has a permanent alliance battlegroup stationed on its territory.
“Together with other allies and the company which builds this fighter plane, a regional hub will be created in Romania to train pilots who will fly these jets,” CSAT said in a statement following a meeting ahead of next week’s NATO summit in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.
“Romanian pilots operating F-16 planes will be trained here, and the facility will later be open to pilots from allied states and NATO partners, including Ukraine.”
The F-16 is made by Lockheed Martin Corp.
At a meeting in April, CSAT said Romania would aim to buy the latest-generation U.S. F-35 fighter planes, also made by Lockheed Martin, to boost its air defences.
In March, the Defence Ministry said Romania would buy Abrams tanks made by General Dynamics, as part of wider defence acquisition plans.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Leslie Adler)
