ON Saturday, the US State Department said it had approved the sale of dozens of F-35 fighter jets to its NATO ally Romania, a deal worth $7.2 billion.
The contract, which must still be approved by the US Congress, covers Bucharest’s purchase of 32 F-35A aircraft and related equipment, produced by the US aerospace and defence giant Lockheed Martin.
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“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe,” a State Department statement said.
The contract announcement comes as Ukrainian pilots began training this week at a special center in Romania on F-16s, US-made fighter jets that Washington has approved Kyiv to use to repel Russia’s invasion.
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Romania occupies a strategic position at the gateway to Ukraine and the Black Sea and aims to become an international hub for F-16 training.
It inaugurated an F-16 training centre at its Fetesti air base in November 2023, pledging also to train Ukrainians there.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu on Thursday, thanking Bucharest for delivering a Patriot missile defence system to Ukraine.
On Friday, The State Department also approved a $4.1 billion sale to Japan of a KC-46A aerial refuelling tanker.
