Portugal is purchasing Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft from the US in order to sell them on to Romania, IHS Jane's has learned.
Portuguese military procurement agency DGAIED will buy a total of three Lockheed Martin F-16s as part of the US Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programme. The aircraft will be upgraded in Portugal to the F-16 Mid Life Update (MLU) standard by the Portuguese Air Force with assistance from OGMA-Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal, a local firm jointly owned by Empresa Portuguesa de Defesa (EMPORDEF) and Brazil's Embraer.
These aircraft will then be added to nine upgraded Portuguese Air Force F-16MLU aircraft that have been cleared for transfer to the Romanian Air Force.
Perhaps it is a good way to keep your employees current and employed?
If the price of the sale to Romania includes the purchase from the U.S., salary and materials used, why not?
Ben Scramble member, reader & contributor since 1984
Well, why not? I can imagine Romania prefers to minimize the differences in their F-16 fleet, so they'd rather buy additional airframes through their previous supplier. Besides, how many countries have recent experience with F-16A ugrades anyway except for Portugal?
I'm wondering if these F-16's will be wearing Portuguese serials or will retain their USAF markings until delivery to Romania...
Here's the explanation:
Portugal had on sale 9 F-16 MLU (7 AM and 2 BM) and didn't want to sell anything else from its AF.
Romania wanted 12 (a minimal squadron), and conditioned the deal on this number.
So the Portuguese had to come up with 3 additional MLUs, not from their stocks, that's why they bought 3 airframes from the US.
The Romanian minister of Defence signed the deal. The twelve Portuguese Air Force F-16s, incl. the three bought from the USA, will be modernised and delivered to Romania from 2015. A little bit more about it right here: http://airheadsfly.com/2013/10/12/deal- ... o-romania/
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