The Black Sea state, which hopes to join the European Union next year, has 106 combat-capable MiG-21s, including 13 2-seat trainers, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. They are expected to be phased out between 2010 and 2012.
Romania is discussing with Belgium the possible purchase of used F-16 fighters to upgrade its ageing air force, the defence ministry said on July 4. "The Romanian army is going through an upgrading process. We have discussed the possibility of acquiring some F-16 planes from Belgium," Defence Minister Teodor Atanasiu told reporters, without elaborating.
Romania, which joined NATO in 2004 along with six other ex-communist European states, has been transforming its army from a Warsaw Pact mammoth into a lean, mobile force to make it fit to take part in NATO missions.
"We are talking about upgraded American technology, of high performance, but we have not set up a price yet," Belgian Defence Minister Andre Flahaut said. "The price is a political one, as we want to collaborate with our allies in safety." Atanasiu told Reuters in an interview last year that Romania needed at least 24 new aircraft, to be bought or leased through a tender.
The Black Sea state, which hopes to join the European Union next year, has 106 combat-capable MiG-21s, including 13 2-seat trainers, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies. They are expected to be phased out between 2010 and 2012.
