Romania and the Netherlands to launch a joint training facility for Ukrainian technical staff specializing in fighter jets
The lowdown: Romania and the Netherlands are teaming up to create a training ground for Ukrainian tech guru's who'll keep their F-16 fighter jets in tip-top shape at the Fetesti Air Base, located in Romania's southern heartland.
The scoop: The Dutch defense minister, Ruben Brekelmans, broke the news on social media. In his exuberant post, he announced that apart from training pilots for Ukraine and Romania, they've also agreed to jointly train technical personnel for maintaining F-16 jet engines. He even tossed in a shout-out to the Dutch squadron manning unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at the base. Talk about multitasking!
According to Adevarul, the center is primarily intended for Romanian pilots, but it also puts out the welcome mat for tech folks from buddy countries and pals.
The monumental partnership inked on May 8, 2025, during Brekelmans' visit to Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr, formalized the agreement. In April, the Netherlands brought 18 fighter jets to Romania, where the only F-16 training center in Europe resides. Under a cooperation agreement, these jets will be handed over permanently to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense.
As a cherry on top, the first group of Romanian pilots graduated from the training program back in July 2024, with four Ukrainian pilots currently grindin' it out at the center.
So, there you have it! The Netherlands and Romania go above and beyond to empower Ukrainian technical personnel, ensuring that their F-16 fighter jets remain as mighty as a golden bear on the prowl!
Radu, our man on the scene, brings you this exclusive firsthand account from the Fetesti Air Base.
(Photo credits: Forţele Aeriene Române on Facebook)
- The joint training program, spearheaded by Romania and the Netherlands, extends beyond pilots, also aiming to educate technical personnel from various fields, such as finance, industry, and even aerospace, to ensure the maintenance of F-16 jet engines.
- The Dutch defense minister, Ruben Brekelmans, further announced that they are also collaborating to train technical staff from other sectors like finance, industry, and aerospace, as they jointly tackle the maintenance requirements of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at the Fetesti Air Base in Romania.
