The Netherlands has formally transferred 18 F-16 jets to Romania, with the handover finalized on 3 November. These aircraft have been operating at Romania’s European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) in Fetești since 2023. Romania purchased the jets for a symbolic €1 under the agreement. Romania’s Air Force had been operating these planes under a loan, and now takes full ownership of them. In Bucharest, Romanian Brigadier General Ion-Cornel Pleșa and Dutch official Linda Ruseler signed the transfer documents. Defense Minister Liviu-Ionuț Moșteanu said the deal marks a “significant stage” in making Fetești a European training hub for F-16 pilots.
Moșteanu had already announced at NATO’s June 2025 summit in The Hague that the Netherlands would donate the jets to boost pilot training. The Fetești training center was opened in late 2023 through a partnership of Romania, the Netherlands and Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin leads a multinational team that manages the center, providing maintenance and instructor pilots alongside Romanian crews. Five former Dutch F-16s arrived in November 2023 to start training Romanian pilots and Ukrainian pilots have also been training there since late 2024. Dutch officials describe the project as a prime example of European cooperation to boost NATO’s air defense capability.
The Netherlands Transfers 18 F-16 Fighter Jets to Romania. (X/@NLinRomania)
The handover ensures Fetești remains a long-term NATO training hub. Romania, a NATO ally that only recently began flying F-16s, views the new jets as strengthening the alliance’s eastern airspace. Officials say it locks in a permanent training pipeline for Romanian and Ukrainian pilots on NATO’s eastern flank. Dutch representatives noted that using these former Dutch jets in Romania “reinforces deterrence” against regional threats. The transfer comes as the Netherlands retires the F-16 in favor of the F-35; it has already donated 24 F-16s to Ukraine for combat use. Romania’s F-16 fleet will reach approximately 67 aircraft after this deal.
Shared training centers like Fetești are gaining importance as NATO partners phase out older jets. Lockheed Martin notes that the training center could eventually expand to include pilots from other allied nations. The €1 transfer is seen as a strategic investment as Romania gains valuable aircraft and training capacity while NATO strengthens its collective air defense on its eastern flank.