Romania to Buy F-35 Air Fighter Fleet Able to Carry Nuclear Weapons

Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense decided for the country to buy an F-35 fleet. The fighters are to enter Romania’s Air Forces’ use until 2030.

The Air Force’s modernization process will continue with the purchase of the latest generation F-35 aircraft. These aircraft, equipped with a wide range of advanced sensors, the ability to exchange encrypted information in real-time with both air platforms and ground-based defense systems, the ability to manage the operational picture of the battlefield, as well as with high-precision intelligent munitions, allow achieving and maintaining air superiority, a mandatory condition for ensuring sovereignty in the national airspace and, if necessary, for its defense. In this sense, the members of the Council approved the Concept of achieving the operational capability of air defense with V-generation multi-role aircraft.

Romanian Presidency Press Release

The announcement was made on Tuesday, April 11, after the Supreme Council for Defense meeting.

Without mentioning the date, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis had already announced as early as February 2022 that Romania would acquire the F-35 model, the 5th generation aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin. The announcement was made official a year later, but the country still has to wait a few more years for the acquisition.

Currently, Romania has a fleet of second-hand F-16 fighters, mostly bought from other European countries. Now it looks to make the transition to the 5th generation aircraft.

The cost of such an advanced multi-role aircraft as F-35 exceeds USD 80 million, as estimated by defense specialists, but it depends on its features.

From this perspective, Poland is the most advanced Eastern European country, receiving 32 F-35 fighters by 2024. As Poland announced the acquisition in 2020, we can expect Romania to receive its fleet by 2027 or even 2028.

By then, a second-hand market could be available for F-35, so it’s not sure if Romania will buy brand-new or second-hand fighters. Either way, the way the Eastern flank is acquiring weapons tells everything about the tension in the region following the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.