Romania signs $7.2 billion deal to buy 32 F-35A jets
The Romanian government has formalised a deal to purchase 32 F-35A aircraft from the US. The jets will not be expected to be operational in Romania until 2030.
Saab announced on 17 September that it had delivered the fifth and final GlobalEye to the UAE completing a contract for the delivery of five aircraft within 10 years of the order being signed. The first aircraft was only delivered five years ago.
In 2015, Abu Dhabi became the launch export customer of the GlobalEye when it signed a US$1.3 billion development and production contract for two aircraft. This was followed by a $238 million agreement for the third system in 2017, with a $1 billion follow-on deal for two more aircraft in 2021.
In January this year, the Swedish defence firm signed an additional $190 million three-year contract with the UAE to provide in-service support for the Gulf nation’s GlobalEyes.
GlobalEye is a multi-domain AEW&C with an array of active and passive sensors that provide long-range detection and identification of objects in the air, at sea and over land and provides real-time information to defence force units.
Sweden is the only other contracted country and it is expecting deliveries of three aircraft to begin in 2027. Reports emerged in May 2023 that the Poland was considering the purchase of an unspecified number of GlobalEye AEW&C aircraft to reduce Polish dependence on the NATO early warning force based in Geilenkirchen.
The Romanian government has formalised a deal to purchase 32 F-35A aircraft from the US. The jets will not be expected to be operational in Romania until 2030.
At the G20 summit in Brazil, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to the trilateral Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), with a nod given to potentially widening the participation out to other countries.
UK defence secretary John Healey has announced the cancellation and decommissioning of naval and air force platforms to enable the government to “re-invest money in the armed forces” ahead of the upcoming Strategic Defence Review.
The US Air Force will transition away from its ageing A-10 aircraft in 2025, in favour of updating and enhancing its F-16, and introducing F-15EX and F-35 Lightning II jets in the region.
BAE Systems Air business has reaffirmed its commitment to the Typhoon programme as union representatives from the company urge the UK government to order 24 Typhoon jets.
The H145s have been named “Leichter Kampfhubschrauber” (light combat helicopter), or LKH for short, by the German Armed Forces.