NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Lockheed Martin expects to shut a contract with Romania to open up its first F-16 flight training center in Europe, which could eventually train pilots from Ukraine.
The planned European Flight Training Center can be the U.S. company’s first within the continent, and in the long run could expand to show pilots from nations apart from Romania, OJ Sanchez, Lockheed’s integrated fighter group vp and general manager, told Defense News in a Sept. 13 interview.
The Romanians “have to train their pilots, and there was no good place to try this, in addition to their maintainers,” he said.
Lockheed announced late last month that it had signed a letter of intent with Romania and the Netherlands to ascertain the European F-16 Training Center. Sanchez said the corporate is confident its contract with Romania can be signed by the tip of the yr.
As a part of this arrangement, the Netherlands will loan F-16s to Romania for training. Sanchez said the variety of aircraft remains to be being negotiated as a part of the larger contract.
Romania also struck a take care of Norway in November to purchase 32 used F-16s, which might allow Romania to expand its fledgling F-16 fleet and retire the last of its outdated Soviet-era MiG-21 fighters.
At first, this training center will give attention to teaching Romanian pilots to fly F-16s, Sanchez said. But over time, Lockheed hopes more nations could start sending their airmen there — including Ukraine.
“The European Flight Training Center could also be a very good option for countries like Ukraine, or others who may have that support as they construct out their air force needs,” Sanchez said.
Since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the embattled nation repeatedly asked NATO nations for contemporary F-16 fighters to bolster and modernize its air force. Last month, the Netherlands and Denmark announced plans to supply Ukraine with its first F-16s, and the U.S. will help teach Ukrainian pilots to fly them.
Ukraine expects to proceed modernizing its air force in years to come back, and can need more venues where its pilots can learn to fly western fourth-generation jets. Lockheed sees this Romanian training center as one potential option for Ukraine.
Sanchez declined to supply details comparable to what number of pilots this training center might have the option to coach annually, saying that information will not be able to be released. He said it’s still too soon to say how soon the training center might start training the primary Romanian pilots, but that Lockheed hopes to maneuver quickly after the contract is signed.
But Lockheed plans for the Romanian training center’s curriculum and approach to be largely just like the Air Force’s international training units. The Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing in Arizona, for instance, will start training some Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s in October. The director of the U.S. Air National Guard predicted at AFA that some Ukrainian pilots could possibly be finished inside three months, depending on their skills and experience.
The flight training center in Romania will start with English language training, Sanchez said, since that’s “the international language of flying.”
International F-16 training also typically involves basic flight training academics, possibly including flights in a smaller plane like a Cessna to get the scholars some flight time, he said. After that, pilots have six to 12 months of basic flying in a jet, depending on their level of experience, before they get to specialized flight training of their fighter.
Lockheed Martin’s goal is to have student pilots graduate from this Romanian training center with basic proficiency on an F-16 mandatory to affix a squadron and be an efficient wingman, Sanchez said.
Those pilots would still need further training and development to grow and learn advanced maneuvers after graduation, but Sanchez said that more in-depth training would occur elsewhere.
Lockheed will take the lead on organizing this flight training center, including bringing together partners from European and U.S. firms to conduct flight and simulation training, Sanchez said. The corporate expects to have several former U.S. airmen in its ranks function flight instructors on the training center in Romania.
This can be the primary F-16 flight training center Lockheed Martin has arrange in Europe, but the corporate has launched other training centers elsewhere. The Romanian training center will focus entirely on F-16s, but Sanchez left the door open to starting additional centers that might teach pilots to fly other jets comparable to the F-35.
“Training is at all times a critical need and enabler,” Sanchez said.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.