The United States government has authorized the potential sale of hundreds of GBU-39B glide bombs to equip the Romanian Air Force’s F-16A/B MLU fighters. This information comes from a recent publication by the Department of State notifying the U.S. Congress of this new transaction through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
As of today, Romania is in the process of incorporating a batch of 32 F-16A/B MLU fighters acquired from Norway. With the latest arrival of an aircraft in early February, the Romanian Air Force has confirmed a total of 16 aircraft in its inventory. The addition of this new batch of Fighting Falcons, which complements those previously acquired from Portugal and the United States, is intended to replace the retired MiG-21 Lancer fleet while maintaining operational capabilities as the country advances in the procurement of new F-35A stealth fighters.
However, as indicated in the recent publication by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Romanian government is submitting various arms procurement requests to the United States to enhance its weapons systems. The most recent request was announced today, February 18, when the Department of State authorized the potential sale of up to 400 GBU-39B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB-I), along with practice bombs and related equipment. The total value of the transaction amounts to $84 million, with Boeing as the main contractor.
“This proposed sale will enhance Romania’s ability to counter current and future threats, increasing its deterrence and defense capabilities against any threat, as well as its participation in NATO coalition air operations. Romania will have no difficulty integrating these items and services into its armed forces,” the Department of State emphasized.
This latest authorization for Romania complements other approvals granted by the United States in 2024 focused on the supply of air-to-air weaponry. Notably, in May, the U.S. authorized the sale of 300 AIM-9X Sidewinder Block II missiles for a total of $340.8 million. Later, in August, the Department of State approved another package valued at $592 million for the sale of up to 186 AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles.
Finally, it is also worth mentioning the 2023 approval of an upgrade package for the modernization of Romania’s F-16 fleet, valued at $105 million, intended for the 32 aircraft acquired from Norway. This upgrade was carried out by Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services (KAMS), which was responsible for refurbishing the aircraft before their delivery to the Romanian Air Force.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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