Formal transfer of KLu F-16s to Romania
On 3 November 2025, eighteen Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu, Royal Netherlands Air Force) F-16AM/BM fighter aircraft operating in Romania were formally transferred to that country. The aircraft were handed over for the symbolic amount of €1,00. Until this moment, the aircraft were still officially Dutch owned.
The transfer documents were signed in Bucharest by Brigadier General Ion Cornel Pleșa, Chief of the General Directorate for Armaments of Romania, and Linda Ruseler, Director of the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Movable Property. The F-16s will be used to train both Romanian and Ukrainian F-16 pilots.
On 25 June 2025, the Netherlands and Romania signed a memorandum establishing the European F-16 Training Centre (EFTC), located at Baza 86 Aeriana Fetești 'Locotenent Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță', as a permanent facility.
The EFTC was officially inaugurated on 13 November 2023. Established through a joint initiative by the Netherlands, Romania, and Lockheed Martin, it is a unique training facility in Europe. Six days prior to the inauguration, on 7 November 2023, the first five Dutch-owned F-16s arrived at the base to support instructor and pilot training. By 20 November 2024, the final two F-16s had arrived, completing the Netherlands’ commitment to the centre.
The following F-16s were delivered to Romania:
Credit photo: Horatlu Goanta (Scramble Archive)