Radio România Internațional

Tag: Romanian Air Force

  • New F-16 planes for the Romanian Army

    New F-16 planes for the Romanian Army

    Three F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft purchased by Romania from the Kingdom of Norway landed, on Friday, at the 71st Air Base ‘General Emanoil Ionescu’ at Câmpia Turzii (center), to equip the 48th Fighter Squadron. The purchase of these F-16 aircraft and the related package of goods and services will ensure an increase in Romania’s security, by defending the national and NATO airspace in peacetime and in crisis situations, through the Permanent Combat Service – Air Policing under NATO command – writes a communique by the Romanian Defense Ministry. The F-16 aircraft that have just arrived at Câmpia Turzii are the second series of three such planes bought by Romania from Norway, the first being received at the end of November 2023, in the 86th Air Base ‘Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociorniţă’ from Borcea (south- east).

     

    According to the Defense Ministry, through the gradual arrival, during this year and the next, of 32 multi-role F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft that will equip two more squadrons of the Air Force, Romania is strengthening its air defense at a level adapted to the security challenges in the region. These planes will have an important role in maintaining a credible allied defense and deterrence posture against any aggression on the Eastern Flank and, just as importantly, they will ensure the transition for the Romanian Air Force to the fifth-generation era of F-35 aircraft, the defense minister Angel Tîlvăr stated. The ministry he leads recalls that, according to the Concept of the gradual fulfillment of the air defense capability, within the program “Multirole aircraft of the Air Force”, the Romanian Government awarded the Government of Norway the contract for the purchase of 32 F-16 aircraft, with logistic support initially, and a package of complementary goods and services from the US Government.

     

    The aircraft will be delivered in operational condition, their available resource ensuring their operation for a transition period of at least 10 years to the 5th generation aircraft, which makes the acquisition of the Norwegian fighter jets a transfer of capability between two allied NATO countries, the defense ministry explains. The three aircraft that have just arrived will ensure the fulfillment of the new existing requirements within NATO, and later they will be included in the modernization program in the same configuration (M6.X) as the F-16 aircraft from the first squadron that entered the equipment of the Romanian Air Force. This solution ensures the involvement of the Romanian defense industry in the maintenance and modernization of F-16 aircraft, through the company Aerostar Bacău (est). At present, the Romanian Air Force has 20 F-16 aircraft. (LS)

  • Goodbye, MiG-21!

    Goodbye, MiG-21!

    Authorities in Bucharest have decided to decomission the second-generation MiG-21 LanceR aircraft, which had their first flight in 1957. The Romanian Air Force started acquiring the Soviet-made aircraft 61 years ago, in 1962, and in the following four decades, Romania increased the number to 322 planes. The decision to withdraw them was taken, last year, by the National Supreme Defense Council, in order to accelerate the transition to the operation of F-16 combat aircraft.



    Another reason for decommissioning such aircraft is the high number of accidents. In the last three decades, Romania has lost 20 such devices in various accidents. In the last five years alone, four planes have crashed, one of which resulted in the death of the pilot. As early as January, the MiG-21 planes began to be taken out, gradually, from active service and, once they exhausted their flight resource, they were taken to the 95th Air Base in Bacău (east). The last flights of the MiG-21 LanceR aircraft were scheduled for Monday, with the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest organizing, on this occasion, military and religious ceremonies, as well as exhibitions.



    The Ministry of Defense has announced that the Romanian Air Force will continue to perform Air Policing missions with the F-16 aircraft it owns, supported by the allied aircraft deployed in Romania, part of the Enhanced Air Policing mission under NATO command. Also, the ministry has stated, the ground-based air defense systems will continue to perform Air Policing missions under national command, as well as within the NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defense System.



    The Romanian Air Force currently has 17 American-made F-16 fighters. The authorities have announced that they are going to buy 32 more aircraft of this type. Last month, the National Supreme Defense Council decided that Romania would also buy the latest generation of F-35 planes, continuing the modernization process of the Air Force. The authorities specified, then, that the new aircraft would be purchased starting 2030, and information about the price would be discussed when a response was received from the United States.



    The Parliament in Bucharest will have to vote to approve the purchase, and then the contract will be concluded. The F-35 jets are considered the most powerful fighter aircraft in the world. Equipped with advanced sensor systems, they are capable of ground attack and reconnaissance missions. (MI)

  • December 12, 2019 UPDATE

    December 12, 2019 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT – The minority
    Liberal government in Bucharest on Thursday asked Parliament for a vote of
    confidence on three bills referring to the amendment of the justice laws, free
    local road transport for pupils, pensioners and people with disabilities, and
    to the budget caps on next year’s spending. Given that the Senate already
    approved on Wednesday some of the justice amendments proposed by the
    government, namely postponing by two years the early retirement of magistrates
    and by one year the transition to three-panel judges, the government says it
    will only ask for a vote of confidence on the postponement of the increase in
    the length of service required to enter the magistracy. Unless a no-confidence
    motion is filed within the next three days, the bills proposed by the
    government will come into force as soon they are signed into law by the
    president. The Social-Democratic Party in opposition announced it would notify
    the Constitutional Court over the first bill for which the Orban Cabinet has
    asked Parliament’s vote of confidence, the one modifying the justice laws
    regarding the seniority requirements for being admitted to the National
    Magistracy Institute, saying this was unnecessary.






    EU COUNCIL – The EU
    multi-annual budget, its efforts to combat climate change and Brexit are the
    main subjects discussed by the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday
    in Brussels. Romania is represented by president Klaus Iohannis, who upon his
    arrival said he disagrees with the Finnish presidency’s proposal regarding the
    upcoming multiannual financial framework, saying that too little money is being
    allotted to the cohesion policy. President Iohannis said the agenda includes
    other complicated topics as well, such as climate change. In that respect the
    EU wants to introduce an ambitious goal, climate neutrality, to be implemented
    by 2050, which would be very complicated for East-European economies. Such
    expenses should be covered by the EU budget as well, so talks won’t be simple,
    Klaus Iohannis said.






    AIR FORCE -
    Romania is to purchase another five F-16 fighter jets from Portugal, with the
    same configuration as the 12 that are already in the possession of the Romanian
    Air Forces. MPs have adopted a bill on the continuation of the multiroll
    aircraft programme. The bill also provides for the modernization of all of the
    Romanian Army’s F-16 jets. The bill has been backed by all parliamentary groups
    and the defence minister has hailed the passing of the law.










    MIGRATION – Over 4%
    of Romania’s population has left the country in the last four years, the
    vice-president of the Romanian Center for Integration, Ioan Puhace, said on
    Thursday on the sidelines of the conference titled Legal Migration in 2020 -
    Challenges and Opportunities on the Labor Market ahead of a new Migration Boom.
    The Romanian official said solutions need to be found regarding the development
    of the labor market. One such solution is legal migration. Ioan Puhace explained
    Romanian employers are constantly looking for workforce, and as such there
    needs to be flexibility in terms of migration. In turn, the vice-president of
    the European Union of SMEs, Florin Jianu, pointed out that right now, Romania
    has a labor force shortage of approximately one million people. It is his
    opinion that Romania can attract workers from areas with Romanian-speaking
    populations, such as Serbia, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.






    STRIKES IN FRANCE
    – Public transport in France was again disrupted on Thursday by strikes in
    response to the government’s intention to reform the pensions system. Most
    trade unionists are categorically opposed to the replacement of the current
    system. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Wednesday made public the pensions
    reform bill, which is to apply fully beginning in 2022. He said the new system
    maintains the retirement age at 62, but that the government will encourage employees
    not to retire by means of a system of reductions and bonuses.






    ISRAEL – In Israel,
    Benjamin Netanyahu remains the prime minister of an interim government after
    the Knesset has voted for its own dissolution and the holding of new early
    elections in March next year. The leaders of the major parties, Likud and Blue
    and White, Benjamin Netanyahu and Beny Gantz, respectively, have failed to form
    a government. The two have made no fundamental compromise allowing the
    formation of a ruling coalition and have accused each other for this failure.


    (Translated by C.
    Mateescu & V. Palcu)

  • December 12, 2019 UPDATE

    December 12, 2019 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT – The minority
    Liberal government in Bucharest on Thursday asked Parliament for a vote of
    confidence on three bills referring to the amendment of the justice laws, free
    local road transport for pupils, pensioners and people with disabilities, and
    to the budget caps on next year’s spending. Given that the Senate already
    approved on Wednesday some of the justice amendments proposed by the
    government, namely postponing by two years the early retirement of magistrates
    and by one year the transition to three-panel judges, the government says it
    will only ask for a vote of confidence on the postponement of the increase in
    the length of service required to enter the magistracy. Unless a no-confidence
    motion is filed within the next three days, the bills proposed by the
    government will come into force as soon they are signed into law by the
    president. The Social-Democratic Party in opposition announced it would notify
    the Constitutional Court over the first bill for which the Orban Cabinet has
    asked Parliament’s vote of confidence, the one modifying the justice laws
    regarding the seniority requirements for being admitted to the National
    Magistracy Institute, saying this was unnecessary.






    EU COUNCIL – The EU
    multi-annual budget, its efforts to combat climate change and Brexit are the
    main subjects discussed by the European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday
    in Brussels. Romania is represented by president Klaus Iohannis, who upon his
    arrival said he disagrees with the Finnish presidency’s proposal regarding the
    upcoming multiannual financial framework, saying that too little money is being
    allotted to the cohesion policy. President Iohannis said the agenda includes
    other complicated topics as well, such as climate change. In that respect the
    EU wants to introduce an ambitious goal, climate neutrality, to be implemented
    by 2050, which would be very complicated for East-European economies. Such
    expenses should be covered by the EU budget as well, so talks won’t be simple,
    Klaus Iohannis said.






    AIR FORCE -
    Romania is to purchase another five F-16 fighter jets from Portugal, with the
    same configuration as the 12 that are already in the possession of the Romanian
    Air Forces. MPs have adopted a bill on the continuation of the multiroll
    aircraft programme. The bill also provides for the modernization of all of the
    Romanian Army’s F-16 jets. The bill has been backed by all parliamentary groups
    and the defence minister has hailed the passing of the law.










    MIGRATION – Over 4%
    of Romania’s population has left the country in the last four years, the
    vice-president of the Romanian Center for Integration, Ioan Puhace, said on
    Thursday on the sidelines of the conference titled Legal Migration in 2020 -
    Challenges and Opportunities on the Labor Market ahead of a new Migration Boom.
    The Romanian official said solutions need to be found regarding the development
    of the labor market. One such solution is legal migration. Ioan Puhace explained
    Romanian employers are constantly looking for workforce, and as such there
    needs to be flexibility in terms of migration. In turn, the vice-president of
    the European Union of SMEs, Florin Jianu, pointed out that right now, Romania
    has a labor force shortage of approximately one million people. It is his
    opinion that Romania can attract workers from areas with Romanian-speaking
    populations, such as Serbia, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.






    STRIKES IN FRANCE
    – Public transport in France was again disrupted on Thursday by strikes in
    response to the government’s intention to reform the pensions system. Most
    trade unionists are categorically opposed to the replacement of the current
    system. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Wednesday made public the pensions
    reform bill, which is to apply fully beginning in 2022. He said the new system
    maintains the retirement age at 62, but that the government will encourage employees
    not to retire by means of a system of reductions and bonuses.






    ISRAEL – In Israel,
    Benjamin Netanyahu remains the prime minister of an interim government after
    the Knesset has voted for its own dissolution and the holding of new early
    elections in March next year. The leaders of the major parties, Likud and Blue
    and White, Benjamin Netanyahu and Beny Gantz, respectively, have failed to form
    a government. The two have made no fundamental compromise allowing the
    formation of a ruling coalition and have accused each other for this failure.


    (Translated by C.
    Mateescu & V. Palcu)