The 5th-generation F-35 Lightning II fighter gained its 20th customer on Thursday after Romania signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for 32 aircraft from Lockheed Martin.
The deal had been expected for weeks after the U.S. government approved the acquisition of the stealth jets. Romania is expected to pay about $7.2 billion for the F-35s, engines, spare parts and services.
“We are pleased to welcome Romania into the F-35 enterprise,” said Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt, director and program executive officer of the F-35 Joint Program Office. “The integration of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft into the Romanian Air Force will significantly strengthen NATO’s deterrence capabilities by providing unmatched strategic, operational, and tactical advantages.”
From Old MiG-21s to F-35s
The Romanian Air Force operated Soviet-made aircraft for decades, dating back to the days when the Eastern European country lived under the communist umbrella.
The nation, however, joined NATO in 2004 and has since sought to upgrade its aircraft fleet to Western models.
Until recently, however, air defense relied on MiG-21 fighters. Seeking a quick fix, Romania acquired second-hand F-16 jets, including planes from Portugal and Norway.
There are currently 26 F-16A/B fighters in service, plus a batch of 23 aircraft to be transferred by Norway. Of these, 17 were sent by Portugal and the rest by the Norwegians.
In addition, Romania hosts a European F-16 pilot training center, which has been providing support to Ukraine.
The F-35As, however, are not expected to arrive in Romania until 2031 and will coexist with the F-16s for some time.
