The Netherlands sold a batch of F-16 fighters to Romania for just over $1, formally giving its fellow NATO ally ownership of the jets that it has been using to train Ukrainian pilots.
The sale, which was announced this week, is largely symbolic, echoing an earlier sale of German MiG-29s for a Euro each to Poland, which later gave them to Ukraine. The latest deal helps the Netherlands clear space for newer jets while further solidifying Romania’s role as a hub for training European militaries to operate the US-made F-16 Fighting Falcon, a combat-proven fourth-generation jet.
The Netherlands had previously committed 18 fighter jets to the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC), located at a Romanian military base in the city of Fetești. The site was established in 2023 to train Romanian pilots on the aircraft and expanded to Ukrainian pilots the following year.
The Netherlands still owned those jets until Monday, when they were formally transferred to Romania for 1 Euro ($1.15), plus a Value-Added Tax (VAT) payment of 21 million Euros ($24.1 million) for the aircraft and the logistics support package, the two countries disclosed in separate statements.
Liviu-Ionuț Moșteanu, Romania’s minister of national defense, said the contract marks a “significant stage” in the development of the EFTC at the country’s 86th Air Base.
“EFTC has turned our country into a European hub for all states that own or will own F-16s and we are considering expanding the training modules, as the F-35 program advances,” Moșteanu added.
US Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kasie Faddis
More than a dozen NATO countries either already fly or are planning to acquire the F-35 Lightning II. The Netherlands and Norway have retired their fourth-gen F-16s in favor of the fifth-gen fighter jet, widely considered a top aircraft. Both aircraft are made by American defense giant Lockheed Martin.
Romania only recently acquired the F-16, and the new batch of 18 will add to the dozens of jets it already operates or plans to. Bucharest said that the jets are specifically intended for the EFTC because it has an obligation to ensure a certain number of training slots for NATO and Ukraine.
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“It’s wonderful that our former F-16s have been given a valuable new lease on life at the EFTC,” said Ruben Brekelmans, the Dutch defense minister. “The Ukrainian pilots trained here are already making a significant contribution to protecting their country against the horrific Russian airstrikes.”
Ukraine operates a small number of F-16s that have been donated by NATO countries. The fighter jets, which have been used extensively in combat, provided Kyiv with a major upgrade over its aging fleet of Soviet-designed aircraft.
The F-16 isn’t the only Western fighter jet that Ukraine has acquired during Russia’s invasion. Kyiv now also fields the Mirage 2000, manufactured by the French aerospace company Dassault Aviation, and the country signed a letter of intent last month to eventually acquire the Swedish-made JAS 39 Gripen.
Romania’s defense minister, Moșteanu, said that his country remains committed to supporting Ukraine’s “right to defend itself” through pilot training and regional security efforts.
