In collaboration with the governments of Romania and the Netherlands, Lockheed Martin has formalized a letter of intent (LOI) to create an F-16 pilot training center in Romania. The training facility will be situated at Romania's 86th "Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniță" Air Base, located in Borcea, Călărași County. Initially focusing on enhancing the effectiveness and safety of Romanian F-16 pilots, the project has the potential to expand its scope to include training pilots from other nations.
The Romanian Ministry of National Defence expressed its commitment to collective security through this initiative, stating, "Not only does this project underline Romania's commitment to collective security, but also reflects the solid support provided to our partners. Through the F-16 Pilot Training Center, Romania consolidates its role as a security provider, by substantially contributing to supporting Ukraine's capabilities in the collective efforts made for stability and security."
Aircraft from the Royal Dutch Air Force will be deployed to the 86th Air Base to oversee the project, with Lockheed Martin furnishing flight instructors and technical engineering personnel. Lockheed Martin highlighted that both Dutch and Romanian aircrews already use the company's F-16 simulators for training. The F-16, with an estimated 19.5 million flight hours logged to date and over 3,100 currently in operation across 25 countries, continues to be a widely utilized aircraft worldwide.
