NATO member Romania pushes to purchase US-made F-35 fighter jets

BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania’s prime protection physique permitted on Tuesday the acquisition of an unspecified variety of American-made F-35 fighter jets, because the NATO-member state pushes to modernize its air drive, Romania’s presidential workplace mentioned.

The workplace of President Klaus Iohannis, who chaired a Supreme Council of National Defense assembly within the capital Bucharest on Tuesday, mentioned members of the council permitted the acquisition of the “latest generation” Lockheed Martin F-35 plane.

“The achievement of robust, credible, interoperable, flexible and efficient air defense operational capabilities … assumed as a result of NATO and EU membership, as well as to deter a possible aggression, is the essential condition for fulfilling the objectives of the defense policy of Romania,” the assertion learn.

“The process of modernization of the Air Force will continue with the purchase of the latest generation F-35 aircraft,” it mentioned.

Iohannis’ workplace didn’t specify what number of F-35 fighters Romania would look to buy or when it might purchase them. The acquisition would additionally want Parliamentary approval however is predicted to be extensively supported.

The announcement comes after Romania, which joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007, boosted protection spending final 12 months following Russia’s warfare in Ukraine, Romania’s neighbor.

After Moscow’s forces rolled into Ukraine in February 2022, NATO bolstered its presence on Europe’s jap flank by sending extra multinational battlegroups to alliance members Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.