BUCHAREST: The first group of Ukrainian pilots has begun their F-16 fighter jet training at Romania’s regional hub, the Romanian defense ministry confirmed to the Western media on Friday.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv has sought to enhance its air force by requesting advanced military jets from the West and sending pilots to NATO countries for training, including France.
Romania established a training hub for F-16s at its Fetesti air base in November 2023, with a commitment to train Ukrainian pilots there.
The initial group of four Ukrainian pilots arrived earlier this week and has commenced “theoretical training,” according to Romanian defense ministry spokesperson Constantin Spinu. He indicated that practical training might start “toward the end of the year.”
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov praised the program on social media, expressing optimism about increasing the number of F-16s in Ukrainian airspace.
The Fetesti hub is located approximately 150 kilometers from Bucharest and was set up following an agreement with the Netherlands to provide several F-16s for training. The jets are maintained by Lockheed Martin, the US-based manufacturer, which also delivers the training.
Romania’s air force currently operates 26 F-16s, including 17 purchased from Portugal and nine from Norway. Norway is expected to supply an additional 23 jets to Romania by the end of 2025.
