Aviano to assist Romania with F-16 program

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  • 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  Aviano Air Base’s 31st Maintenance Group recently hosted a delegation of Romanian air force officers and airmen who visited here to expand their expertise in and understanding of F-16 Fighting Falcon repairs and logistical support.

As part of a Foreign Military Sales case between Portugal and Romania, the U.S. Air Force - specifically the Office of Defense Cooperation at the US Embassy in Bucharest and the 31st Fighter Wing here at Aviano – will foster the beddown and integration of Romania’s new fleet of 12 F-16s into its air force.

"The Romanian Air Force visited us to observe how we run day to day maintenance, as they are in the beginning stages with their F-16s" said Senior Master Sgt. Chad Aubuchon, 31st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron assistant superintendent. "We shared training programs, technician responsibilities and organizational guidelines for their use in standing up these fighters."

Information about FMS case from Capt. Brandon Rodts, case officer at the Office of Defense Cooperation in Romanian Embassy Bucharest.

The 12 F-16 Block 15 MLU aircraft, comprised of nine A-models and three B-models, are scheduled for transfer to Romania before the end of this year. Aubuchon expects to hear back from his counterparts soon, as they were pleasantly surprised by the trust and professionalism showcased by Aviano, he said.

“We gave them a lot of information in a very short time frame,” said Aubuchon. “They had a lot of questions about our training program specifically due to the high level of trust we put in our newest Airmen. We hope they will reach back with us whenever they need to so we can continue building their confidence in both their skills and the partnership they have with us as NATO partners.”

Upon delivery of the aircraft, the government of Portugal will provide the Romanian air force two years of on-site support. Additionally, the US will provide many aircraft parts and supplies, including aircraft ground equipment, radars and more.

The FMS case was initiated by a Letter of Offer and Acceptance signed in 2013. Teams from all over the globe have been instrumental to the case’s success, and along with Rodts, three program managers at Hill Air Force Base have made significant contributions: Pat Stapleton, F-16 New Business Program Manager; Jon Bieniek, Program Manager, Romania; and Anna Rivera, Logistics Management Specialist.

Romania’s F-16 fleet is expected to reach initial operational capability 18 to 24 months from now.