Defence minister: Romanian Air Force to carry out defence missions with three F-16 squadrons

   The Romanian Air Force will soon carry out missions to defend national and allied airspace with three squadrons equipped with F-16 fighter jets deployed on three air bases, Defence Minister Angel Tilvar said on Tuesday at the ceremony officially marking the completion of the endowment of the 48th Fighter Squadron with this type of aircraft, informs a MApN press release.According to the cited source, the event took place at the Romanian Air Force 71st Air Base "General Emanoil Ionescu" at Campia Turzii.The ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway in Bucharest, Hilde Svartdal Lunde, and the Chief of the Romanian Air Force Staff, Lieutenant General Leonard-Gabriel Baraboi.Defence minister Angel Tilvar emphasized the significance that the smooth execution of the contract for the purchase of 32 surplus F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft of the Norwegian Air Force has in relation to the security of Romania and NATO's Eastern Flank.He expressed his appreciation for the way in which the Norwegian side is fulfilling the obligations assumed by the contract between the two governments."Norway is an important ally for Romania, bilateral cooperation in the field of defence ensuring consistency to the broad process of modernization and development of our country's defence capabilities," said Tilvar, according to the press release.The Romanian Defence minister evoked the fairness and viability of the decision made more than 10 years ago to build for the Romanian Air Force a transition capability to 5th generation aircraft based on F-16 aircraft, MApN said."This F-16-based program has provided our air force with the opportunity to fundamentally change the mindset of its professional corps, ensured access to modern and interoperable air combat technologies, brought the operating infrastructure up to the most modern standards and, most importantly, catalyzed the transition to the world's top of the range combat aviation, the F-35 aircraft," he said.Angel Tilvar pointed out that the national defence industry is part of this successful program, with the modernization of all F-16 aircraft of the Romanian Air Force to the M6.6 standard to be carried out in the country, at Aerostar Bacau. "It is an important asset for us, which counts not only nationally, but also in our region. The prospect of F-35 aircraft endowment will certainly create new industrial cooperation opportunities for our country's economic operators," the minister affirmed.Tuesday's event also included a briefing visit to the construction site of some infrastructure objectives, as part of the project to expand and modernize the 71st Air Base.At the end of January, an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, purchased by Romania from the Kingdom of Norway, landed at the "General Emanoil Ionescu" 71st Air Base in Campia Turzii, thus completing the 48 Fighter Squadron with all 16 aircraft.The acquisition of the new batch of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and the related package of goods and services ensures the increase of Romania's security by executing the defence of the national/NATO airspace, in peacetime and in crisis situations, through the Permanent Combat Service - Air Police (SLP-PA), under national and allied command.By the end of this year, the remaining 16 F-16 aircraft are expected to be delivered and to become part of the endowment of the 571 Fighter Squadron, which will be part of the 57th Air Base "Captain Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino" from Mihail Kogalniceanu. (Photo:https://armed.mapn.ro/)