DefMin sends Parliament request for pre-approval for purchase of 32 F-16 aircraft from Government of Norway

Minister of National Defense Vasile Dincu sent Parliament a request on Friday, for pre-approval for the purchase of a 32 F-16 aircraft package from the Government of Norway and the package of goods and services from Government of the United States of America.On Friday, the Joint Standing Bureaus of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate considered the request of the Minister of National Defense for the pre-approval on the initiation of the procurement procedure for the package of 32 aircraft from the Government of Norway and the package of goods and services from to the United States of America Government. The request was forwarded to Parliament's Defense Committees."The concept of gradually achieving air defense capability under the 'Air Force Multirole Fighter' program, approved by CSAT [the Supreme Council for National Defence] decision, provides for the gradual realization of transitional air operational capability, by continuing the endowment with F-16 aircraft transferred from the surplus of other states by establishing a capacity consisting of at least 3 squadrons of 16 F-16 aircraft each, necessary to defend the airspace in time of peace, crisis and war, as well as to ensure the national contribution to collective defense. (...) The only solution currently identified, as a result of the analysis of the replies received to the requests for information, consists in the purchase from the Government of Norway of a package consisting of 32 F-16 aircraft, logistical support equipment and training services," Minister Dincu's request reads.According to the cited source, the Ministry of National Defense has decided to initiate steps for the purchase of the package of 32 F-16 aircraft from the surplus of the Norwegian Royal Air Force and the acquisition from the United States Government of the logistical support and equipment necessary for modernization."The estimated funds for achieving the transition operational capacity amount to about 454 million euros without VAT, of which the package proposed by the Government of Norway is approximately 354 million euros excluding VAT and 100 million euros excluding VAT for logistical support and the specific equipment included in the package from the US Government," the document also shows.