Romania has officially taken control of 18 F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands for the symbolic price of one euro, roughly $1.15. The jets are now part of the European F-16 Training Center (EFTC) in Romania, where they will be used to train both Romanian and Ukrainian pilots, as reported by The War Zone.
The transfer was formalized in Bucharest, where Brig. Gen. Ion-Cornel Ple?a of the Romanian General Armament Directorate and Linda Ruseler from the Dutch Ministry of Finance signed the documents. Though the aircraft themselves were transferred for just one euro, Romania also paid a value-added tax of about 21 million euros, based on the declared value of the aircraft and accompanying logistics support package.
The symbolic deal mirrors an earlier arrangement in 2002, when Germany transferred 22 MiG-29 fighters to Poland for the same price. Romania’s Minister of Defense Liviu-Ionu? Mo?teanu said he expressed interest in the acquisition during the NATO Summit in The Hague earlier this year, calling the expansion of the EFTC a strategic move to bolster regional defense.
The Netherlands retired its F-16s after transitioning fully to the F-35A, leaving many of the older fighters available for other NATO missions. Five of the F-16s destined for Romania had already arrived last year at the 86th Air Base in Fete?ti, southeast Romania, marking the start of a new phase in European air defense cooperation.
Initially, the aircraft were used to retrain instructors hired by the EFTC. Since then, the center has begun training new pilots from both Romania and Ukraine, with flights conducted strictly within NATO airspace. The facility provides not just aircraft, but also simulators, maintenance infrastructure, and classroom training for both countries’ air forces.
The path of the Dutch F-16s to Romania was not straightforward. Many of the jets were originally stationed in the United States for Dutch pilot training and were at one point slated for sale to Draken International, a private company that provides adversary training for the U.S. military. That sale never materialized, and the aircraft were eventually refurbished in Belgium before being reassigned to Romania.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans praised the cooperation, calling the EFTC “a textbook example of successful partnership.” He added that Ukrainian pilots trained in Romania are already playing a vital role in defending their country against Russian airstrikes.
Romania’s growing fleet of F-16s includes 12 aircraft purchased from Portugal, five additional jets from the same source, and 32 more from Norway. The country plans to use the F-16 as an intermediate step before acquiring F-35 fighters after 2030.
The EFTC has become a key hub for NATO and Ukraine, providing an advanced training environment at a time when European nations are phasing out their older F-16 fleets. For Ukraine, which has been pledged 87 F-16s from several European allies, the Romanian center offers the crucial training pipeline needed to keep those aircraft flying effectively.
For now, the one-euro F-16 deal stands as both a symbol of allied unity and a practical move to strengthen the region’s air defense capabilities as the balance of power continues to shift eastward.
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