Romania inaugurates an F-16 jet pilot coaching middle for NATO allies and neighboring Ukraine

BUCHAREST, Romania — NATO member Romania inaugurated on Monday a global coaching hub for F-16 jet pilots from allied international locations and different companions, together with Ukraine.

The coaching facility located at an air base in Fetesti in southeast Romania will intention to extend interoperability between NATO allies, and higher place the army alliance “to face the complex challenges” in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea area, Romania‘s defense ministry said.

It said the powerful U.S.-made warplanes will be supplied by the Royal Netherlands Air Force while the aircraft maker Lockheed Martin will provide instructors and maintenance at the training center.

Kathleen Kavalec, the U.S. ambassador to Romania who attended the opening, called the collaboration an “example of how the public and private sectors can cooperate to further our defense priorities.”

“I am here with one simple message,” she said. “The United States government is here to support in any way we can.”

Romania, which has been a NATO member since 2004, shares a long border with Ukraine. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has repeatedly asked its backers to send sophisticated fighter planes to give it a combat edge, and some NATO countries have.

In response to the war next door, Romania ramped up defense spending while NATO bolstered its presence on Europe’s japanese flank by sending further multinational battle teams to alliance members Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.

The middle’s opening comes after Romania stated final week that it’s pushing to purchase 54 latest-model Abrams principal battle tanks and associated gear from the United States in a deal price at the very least a billion {dollars} to assist the European Union nation meet regional safety challenges.

In April, Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense additionally accredited the acquisition of an unspecified variety of newest era American-made F-35 fighter jets, as Romania pushes to modernize its air pressure.

Romania has performed an more and more outstanding position within the alliance all through the struggle, together with internet hosting a NATO assembly of international ministers in November 2022.