Romania gets 18 Dutch F-16s for the price of one euro

The Netherlands is donating 18 F-16 fighter jets to Romania for the symbolic amount of €1. 

The transaction was confirmed by Romania’s defence minister Ionuț Moșteanu on June 25, 2025, during the NATO Summit which took place in The Hague on June 24-25, 2025. 

Formally, these 18 aircraft will now be joining the Romanian Air Force, although they have in fact already been physically based at the European F-16 Training Fighter Center (EFTC) in Fetești, Romania since November 2023. 

Therefore, the donated jets will continue to be dedicated entirely to the training of pilots from several countries of the military alliance. 

The European F-16 Training Fighter Center, which is the result of a joint European initiative, has also participated in the training of Ukrainian fighter pilots. Ukraine has received 24 F-16 jets formerly operated by the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Belgium, Denmark and Norway have also committed to deliver their F-16s to Ukraine, with deliveries contingent to the arrival of the new F-35 jets they have ordered for their respective air forces. 

After transferring the property of these aircraft, the Romanian Air Force F-16 fleet size will swell to 67. Romania has previously acquired 17 second-hand F-16s from Portugal, plus another 32 jets of the same type from The Netherlands, of which 14 have yet to be transferred.  

The Royal Netherlands Air Force received a total of 213 F-16s, of different versions, between 1979 and 1992. The type was retired in 2024, following its replacement by the F-35A.  The post Romania gets 18 Dutch F-16s for the price of one euro appeared first on AeroTime.

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