The last Dutch F-16s arrived in Romania

21 November, 2024 F-16 fighters. Photo: Dutch Ministry of Defense The last of the promised Dutch F-16 fighter jets have arrived in Romania for pilot training.

The Dutch Ministry of Defense reported that it had delivered the last two planes out of 18 committed F-16s. The fighter jets were delivered to a European training center that trains Romanian and Ukrainian pilots. The training center at the Fetesti air base in Romania was established, in part, on the initiative of the Netherlands.

The first five fighter jets were delivered to the center last November.

Romanian F-16 pilots trained at the European Flight Training Center. July 2024, Romania. Photo credits: Romanian Ministry of National Defence

"Just a year after its foundation, the pilot training school now has all the necessary aircraft from the Netherlands," the Defense Ministry said.

The Netherlands, along with Denmark and the United States, took the initiative to train Ukrainian F-16 pilots. Countries also play a leading role in supplying F-16s to Ukraine through an international coalition. The Netherlands will supply 24 F-16s to Ukraine.

The fighter jets are to help the country in its war against Russia. The first Dutch F-16s were delivered to Ukraine in October this year.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky at the air base with F-16 in the Netherlands.

2023. Photo credits: Rob Engelaar/EPA, via Shutterstock

The rest of the fighter jets will be transferred "in the coming months."

The Netherlands is not opposed to Ukraine using the transferred F-16 fighter jets for strikes on Russian territory.

In addition, the government will purchase air-to-ground weapons for these fighter jets worth more than EUR150 million.