(13 Nov 2023)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
86 air base, near Fetesti - 13 November 2023
1. Various of F-16 jets flying over air base in eastern Romania
2. Various of parked jets
3. Various of hangars ++PART MUTE++
4. Various of F-16 in hangar
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Kathleen Kavalec, US ambassador to Romania:
“I’m here with one simple message: The United States government is here to support in any way we can. We already partner with NATO and Romania in bolstering our defense and deterrence in the Black Sea region and will continue to do so to ensure our collective security."
6. Audience in jets hangar
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Kajsa Ollongren, minister of Defence of Netherlands:
“The EFTC is also proof of our commitment to strengthen the deterrence on NATO's eastern flank, Commitment to continue to support Ukraine, to train Ukrainians to protect their homeland, including the strengthening of the country's air force. Working with the United States, UK, Denmark and many others as we see the flags behind me. And these are not separate things, but tracks leading to the same goal: To deter Russia and to make sure that we're ready for a new security crisis that we find ourselves in. And we must be ready because the world has become more dangerous and unpredictable.”
8. Training centre facilities
9. Various of fighter pilots during class training
10. SOUNDBITE (Romanian) Red (call sign) fighter pilot, former MiG21, training on F16:
“The difference (between MiG 21 and F-16) is rather big. We all know MiG 21 is a former Soviet jet whereas F-16 is a much more performant jet, much newer, more technology, but all this tech is meant to help the pilot in real fighting situations.“
11. Jet over the base
12. Various of jets landing
13. Various of jets taxiing to hangars
STORYLINE:
NATO member Romania inaugurated on Monday an international training hub for F-16 jet pilots from allied countries and other partners, including Ukraine.

The training facility is situated at an air base in Fetesti in southeast Romania andnaims to increase interoperability between NATO allies and better position the military alliance “to face the complex challenges” in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region, the defense ministry said.

It said the powerful U.S.-made warplanes will be supplied by the Royal Netherlands Air Force while the aircraft maker, Lockheed Martin, will provide instructors and maintenance at the training center.

Romania, which has been a NATO member since 2004, shares a long border with war-torn Ukraine.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv has repeatedly asked its backers to send sophisticated fighter planes to give it a combat edge, and some NATO countries have.

In response to the war next door, Romania ramped up defense spending while NATO bolstered its presence on Europe’s eastern flank by sending additional multinational battlegroups to alliance members Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.

The center’s opening on Monday comes after Romania said last week that it is pushing to buy 54 latest-model Abrams main battle tanks and related equipment from the United States in a deal worth at least a billion dollars to help the European Union country meet regional security challenges.

In April, Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense also approved the acquisition of an unspecified number of “latest generation” American-made F-35 fighter jets, as Romania pushes to modernize its air force.


AP Video shot by Nicolae Dumitrache

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