WASHINGTON: The US State Department has said it had approved the sale of dozens of F-35 jets to Romania, an agreement worth $7.2 billion. The deal, which must still be passed by the US Congress, covers Bucharest’s purchase of 32 F-35A jets and related equipment, produced by the American aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin.
A State Department statement said that this sale will support the foreign policy targets and national security objectives of the US by enhancing the security of a NATO Ally that is a significant force for economic and political stability in Europe.
Washington Approves $7.2 bn Sale of F-35 Jets to Romania
The agreement announcement comes as Ukrainian pilots started training this week at a special center in Romania on F-16s, that the US has approved Kyiv to use to repel Russia’s invasion. Romania occupies a strategic location at the gateway to Kyiv and the Black Sea, and aims to become an international center for F-16 training.
It also inaugurated an F-16 training center at its Fetesti air base in November 2023, vowing to also train Ukrainians in the air base.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also held a meeting with his Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu on Thursday, thanking Bucharest for providing a Patriot missile defense system to Kyiv.
The State Department also announced that the approval of a $4.1 billion sale to Japan of a KC-46A aerial refueling tanker.
