U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec Remarks at F-16 Training Center Graduation Ceremony

July 26, 2024   Thank you for the invitation to attend this ceremony today, and thank you, Major General Baraboi, Chief of the Romanian Air Force, for hosting us.    It is an honor to be here together with Mr. Frank St. John, Chief Operating Officer of Lockheed Martin, to celebrate the very first class of graduates from the European F-16 Training Center since its opening in November of last year! On the other hand, I am sorry that Ambassador Van Haaften could not be here today, but I know that she is with us in spirit.   I want to convey my hearty congratulations to the seven Romanian Air Force pilots who have successfully completed a demanding course of instruction over the past 8 months, which included rigorous academics, simulator flights, mission planning, airborne missions and much more.    Throughout this course of instruction, these pilots have learned not only to operate an advanced fighter jet, but how to employ it as a team in formations while executing modern air-to-air and air-to-surface tactics.   Through hard work and the guidance of their dedicated instructors, each student has acquired the deep knowledge of aircraft systems necessary to feel confident in their new jet.    I am in awe of the dedication required by you to reach this level of proficiency in such a short period.    I am sure the Romanian Air Force is looking forward to seeing you join the growing cadre of F-16 pilots in Romania as it becomes an even more critical contributor to deterrence and defense in the air domain on NATOs eastern flank.   I would also like to highlight the efforts by Lockheed Martin and its partner companies to create and sustain the training center, by providing first-class instruction, maintenance, and sustainment of the aircraft, and everything else that goes into maintaining a successful flying operation.    A special thanks is due Mr. Bill Thomas, also known as “Sluggo”, for his personal dedication and perseverance to transform the training center from a vision into a successful reality over the past 18 months.   This center is remarkable not only for being the first of its kind in Europe, but also for being a tangible example of the fruits of partnership and collaboration between allies.    The Kingdom of the Netherlands graciously stepped forward to solve possibly the most critical missing component of this effort– the aircraft.  The Royal Dutch Air Force has provided 14 F-16s to date.    Their agreement with Romania to operate the Dutch aircraft from a Romanian base and conduct training in Romanian airspace was a key milestone on the path to where we now find ourselves – with a new group of trained F-16 pilots.     We look forward to Romania opening up training to other regional allies and partners, especially Ukraine.   Finally, thank you to the Romanian Air Force and the Ministry of Defense for recognizing the value of this effort and graciously hosting the aircraft and personnel, and for providing the facilities and resources to enable the training center to reach its full potential.    Today’s event is one more example of Romania’s determination is to be a leader in collective defense and security in the Black Sea region – in this case with the potential to enable air and air defense capabilities far beyond their borders as future classes of pilots are trained and join the ranks of NATO’s airmen.    Thank you for the opportunity to congratulate everyone for a job exceptionally well done.  Fly safe, “check six”, and as the Romanians say… Cer Senin.   (Source: Public Diplomacy – Press Office U.S. Embassy-Bucharest)