US Approves $7.2B Sale Of F-35 Jets To NATO Ally Romania
Date
9/14/2024 7:20:52 PM
(MENAFN- AzerNews)
The US State Department has approved the sale of dozens of F-35
fighter jets to its NATO ally Romania, a deal worth $7.2 billion,
Azernews informs referring to AFP.
The contract, which must still be approved by the US Congress,
covers Bucharest's purchase of 32 F-35A aircraft and related
equipment, produced by the US aerospace and defense giant Lockheed
Martin.
"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and
national security objectives of the United States by improving the
security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for political
and economic stability in Europe," a State Department statement
said.
The contract announcement comes as Ukrainian pilots began
training this week at a special center in Romania on F-16s, US-made
fighter jets that Washington has approved Kyiv to use to repel
Russia's invasion.
Romania occupies a strategic position at the gateway to Ukraine
and the Black Sea, and aims to become an international hub for F-16
training.
It inaugurated an F-16 training center at its Fetesti air base in
November 2023, pledging to also train Ukrainians there.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Romanian
counterpart Luminita Odobescu on Thursday, thanking Bucharest for
delivering a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine.
The State Department also announced the approval on Friday of a
$4.1 billion sale to Japan of a KC-46A aerial refueling tanker.
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