Norway signs F-16 contract with Romania
On 12 December 2021, Scramble Magazine reported on the request from the Romanian Ministry of National Defence (MoD) for acquiring 32 former Luftforsvaret (RNoAF, Royal Norwegian Air Force) F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons for use with the Fortele Aeriene ale Romanei (FAR, Romanian Air Force).
The request has been approved by the Romanian Parliament and on 4 November 2022 the Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) signed the contract with the Romanian Air Force for the sale of the F-16AM/BMs. The contract is valued at 388 million Euros and includes spare parts, support equipment, maintenance and technical training service. Delivery of the first batch of Fighting Falcons is planned for late 2023 followed by a second one in 2024.
Since March 2021, Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services (KAMS) has been contracted by the NDMA to prepare the Norwegian F-16s for resale and with the sale to Romania the existing contract will be expanded. Scramble Magazine reported on this contract in March 2021.
Ms. Gro Jære, Director General of the NDMA said: “I am very pleased that we have been able to finalise this agreement, which is Norway’s largest ever sale of government owned military equipment. Norwegian F-16s have been among the best maintained of their kind, with high technical standards throughout. I congratulate the negotiation teams of both countries for their efforts. Through this agreement, our F-16s will continue to serve one of our NATO-allies for several years to come”.
The Romanian Air Force already operates seventeen former Portuguese Air Force F-16AM/BMs with Escadrila 53 Vanatoare Warhawks at Borcea/Fetesti (Baza 86 Aeriană).
If you have information on which Norwegian F-16s have been sold to Romania, please let us know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Photo by Ruud van den Berg (Scramble Archive)