Red is a Romanian fighter pilot with hundreds of flight hours and countless air policing missions on the NATO state's now retired fleet of MIG21 LanceR jets who will be flying Lockheed Martin F-16 planes as early as December.
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    FETESTI, Romania, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Red is a Romanian fighter pilot with hundreds of flight hours and countless air policing missions on the NATO state’s now retired fleet of MIG21 LanceR jets who will be flying Lockheed Martin F-16 planes as early as December.

    On Monday, he and six other Romanian pilots became the first trainees at a NATO military alliance-backed regional F-16 training hub which will also be available to all allies and partners, including Ukraine during its war with Russia.

    Last year it agreed to buy 32 second-hand F-16 fighter jets - made by Lockheed Martin Corp LMT.N - from Norway, to add to 17 acquired from Portugal since 2016.

    “The intent is to also train Ukrainian pilots,” Bok said, adding the timeline had yet to be agreed with Romanian officials, “but I would say at the beginning of next year.”

    In August, the United States approved sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine from Denmark and the Netherlands to defend against Russian invaders as soon as pilot training was completed.

    Asked when the Netherlands would be sending F-16s to Ukraine, Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren, who was present at the hub’s launch, said it depended on preparations on the Ukrainian side.

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