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First five aircraft of European F-16 Training Centre land in Fetesti
The first five aircraft of the European F-16 Training Centre have landed in Fetesti, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) announced on Tuesday in a press release sent on Tuesday.
As many as five F-16 aircraft of the Royal Netherlands Air Force landed Tuesday at the Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita 86th Air Force Base in Fetesti.
"The aircraft will serve the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC), established as a result of collaboration between the Ministry of National Defence, through the Romanian Air Force and the Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands, through the Royal Netherlands Air Force, in partnership with Lockheed Martin and with the support of the Kingdom of Denmark, the coordinating state, alongside the Netherlands, of the international F-16 Coalition," the press release said.
The Ministry of Defence shows the Centre will be an international hub for training F-16 pilots and will facilitate increased interoperability between allies.
"At the same time, it will contribute to the creation of common operational standards and strengthen the North Atlantic Alliance's ability to meet the complex challenges in the Black Sea region and Eastern Europe. According to the cooperation agreement, the Romanian Ministry of Defence makes available 86th Air Base, training facilities and support of the host nation, the Royal Netherlands Air Force provides F-16 aircraft and Lockheed Martin provides instructors and maintenance," the source said.
The EFTC will contribute to accelerating the training process of Romanian pilots, in the context in which the Romanian Army is preparing to receive 32 F-16 aircraft, recently purchased from Norway, MApN mentions.
The Ministry of National Defence also states that, given the current geopolitical context and Romania's strategic position in the Black Sea region, this centre becomes essential for cross-border cooperation, strengthening security and reinforcing solidarity within NATO.
"Through the establishment of the European F-16 Training Centre, Romania is committed to providing a high quality training environment, with access to state-of-the-art technical resources and know-how, not only for Romanian pilots, but also for those from allied and partner states, including Ukraine," the MApN further shows.