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A Romanian military jet pilot greets from the cockpit of his F16 Falcon after a demonstration following the opening ceremony for the European F-16 Training Center, held at the 86th Air Base “Lieutenant Aviator Gheorghe Mociornita”, in Borcea, 156 kilometers south-east from Bucharest, Romania, 13 November 2023. The ETFC it is the first European dedicated training facility outside the United States territory that had all the means for training F16 pilots in order to facilitate the interoperability between NATO member countries. According to the project contract, Romanian Defense Ministry put the 86th Air Base at the training hub's disposal, including the tech training facilities and logistic support. The Netherlands already gave four pieces of F16 jet fighters for the training flights, and US company Lockheed Martin comes with the instructors and maintenance. At the EFTC are supposed to get the training the Ukrainian pilots that will handle the F16 that Ukraine will receive from its western allies, according to the NATO decision. (Photo by Robert Ghement/EPA/EFE)
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