The Netherlands has pledged to donate 18 F-16 fighter jets to Romania by the close of 2025 for the symbolic price of just one euro. Romanian Defense Minister Ionu? Mo?teanu made the announcement on June 25 at a press conference in The Hague, held alongside President Nicu?or Dan shortly after the conclusion of the NATO summit.

The aircraft are not destined for combat use, but rather to serve a training purpose. They will be integrated into Romania's F-16 Training and Instruction Center, which was established in 2023 and operates as a multinational hub. The facility provides pilot training for Romania, NATO, and allied air forces, contributing to broader regional preparedness and interoperability.

Minister Mo?teanu stated that the two sides would formalize the arrangement through a Memorandum of Understanding, which he was due to sign that same day with his Dutch counterpart. Once formalized, the technical process for transferring the jets will commence. According to Mo?teanu, although the transfer procedure is fixed and cannot be bypassed, it will now proceed to expert-level discussions to work out the operational details.

The 18 jets will become the property of the Romanian state by the end of this year, enhancing the country's infrastructure for NATO-aligned pilot training. The move not only strengthens Romania's defense collaboration within the alliance but also boosts its role in supporting training capacity on NATO's eastern flank.

The announcement comes amid a broader shift in NATO's defense posture, with leaders at the Hague summit reaffirming their commitment to collective defense under Article 5 and agreeing to raise defense spending targets, aiming for 5% of GDP per member state.

Currently, Romania operates two F-16 squadrons based at Borcea and Cmpia Turzii. The fleet includes 17 jets purchased from Portugal between 2016 and 2021, and 18 acquired from Norway, with the last pair delivered just last month. According to defense agreements, an additional 14 Norwegian F-16s are expected to arrive by year-end, which would bring the total number of Romanian-owned F-16 aircraft to 67.