Two more F-16 Fighting Falcons of the multi-role fighter aircraft acquired by Romania from the Kingdom of Norway, landed on Thursday at the 71st Air Base 'General Emanoil Ionescu' in Campia Turzii, and are set to endow the 571st Fighter Aviation Squadron of the 57th Air Base 'Captain Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino' at Mihail Kogalniceanu.

According to the Ministry of National Defence, the operational capability of the squadron will be developed within the 71st Air Base, while the full operationalisation process will be achieved at the 57th Air Base, once the infrastructure project is completed.

The new aircraft will join those already in the endowment of the Romanian Air Force and will contribute to the consolidation of our country's security by executing missions in defence of national and allied airspace, both in peacetime and in crisis situations, within the Permanent Combat Service - Air Police (SLP-PA), under national and NATO command.

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The new batch of aircraft is part of the contract signed between the Government of Romania and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway for the purchase of 32 F-16 aircraft, together with the initial logistic support and a complementary package of goods and services provided by the Government of the United States of America.

The aircraft, delivered in operational condition, have available resources that allow them to be used for a transition period of at least 10 years, until the transition to 5th generation aircraft. Thus, the acquisition of the Norwegian fighter aircraft represents, in fact, a transfer of capabilities between two allied states within NATO, MApN said.

So far, 18 aircraft have been delivered, 16 of which are part of the 48th Fighter Squadron at Campia Turzii and two are set to endow the 571st Fighter Aviation Squadron at Mihail Kogalniceanu. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)