Israel is modernizing Romanian Air Force IAR-99s

The Israeli company Elbit Systems concluded a contract for the first phase of the modernization of ten IAR-99 fighter training aircraft of the Fortele Aeriene Romane (FAR, Romanian Air Force). The contract has a total value of USD 37 million.

The IAR-99s will receive upgraded advanced avionics systems and an Embedded Virtual Avionics system for simulation and training with the use of virtual sensor and weapons systems. These upgrades will help FAR pilots in the transition to advanced fighters as the F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon, of which the Romanian Air Force has a total of seventeen in service.

The work on the modernization will be carried out by the Avioane Craiova plant in Romania and is expected to take up four years. The first flight of the IAR-99TD is expected in 2022.

Photo: Markus Schrader (Scramble Magazine Archive)