Romanian Air Force

The Romanian Air Force (abbr. RoAF, Romanian: Forțele Aeriene Române) is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, five air bases, a logistics base, an air defense brigade, an air defense regiment and an ISR brigade. Reserve forces include one air base and two airfields. In 2022, the Romanian Air Force employed 11,700 personnel. The current chief of the Romanian Air Force Staff is Lieutenant general Leonard-Gabriel Baraboi, who succeeded Lieutenant general Viorel Pană on 29 November 2023.

The Romanian Air Force was first formed as the Military Aeronautics Service on 1 April 1913, transformed into the Romanian Air Corps in 1915. The Army-subordinated Air Corps was reorganized as the independent Royal Romanian Air Force on 1 January 1924, then converted to the present-day Air Force in 1949. The Air Force went through a modernization plan in the 1990s and early 2000s, dropping the communist-era organization system in 1995 and adopting a NATO-compatible one instead as the country was preparing to join the Alliance.

Currently, the Romanian Air Force operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole aircraft. The Romanian Air Force also operates C-130 Hercules, C-27J Spartan and An-26 transport airplanes and IAR 330 helicopters. IAR 330 Puma SOCAT helicopters have been modernized by the Romanian Aviation Industry (IAR) in cooperation with Elbit Systems (from Israel) for attack missions. The Romanian Air Force also includes locally built IAR 99 Șoim jets, in general only used for training of the young pilots.

In July 2023, following a Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) meeting, the plan of hosting an F-16 training center in Romania was approved. The aim is for this center to become a regional training hub for Romanian and other allied fighter pilots, including Ukrainians. To support this decision, an international coalition of 11 nations, as well as Ukraine was formed during the 2023 Vilnius summit. As part of this initiative, Romania is providing the necessary infrastructure of the 86th Air Base, the Netherlands provides the F-16 aircraft, and Lockheed Martin with its subcontractor Draken International provide the instructors and technicians. The European F-16 Training Center became operational in November 2023, and started training Ukrainian pilots in September 2024 after a first group of Romanian pilots. On 2 April 2025, it was reported that the F-16s used at the training center would be transferred to Romanian service thus forming a fourth squadron which would be used for training purposes. The 18 Dutch F-16s were formally transferred to Romania on 3 November under a symbolic price of 1 euro.

Due to the old age of the MiG-21 LanceRs, the Romanian Air Force procured F-16 fighters from partner states. In 2013, Romania signed a contract with Portugal for 12 F-16 A/B Block 15 MLU fighters. Under the Peace Carpathian program, the first six fighters entered service with the Romanian Air Force in September 2016, another three have been delivered in November and the last three have entered service in 2017. Romania signed a contract in 2019 with Portugal for another 5 F-16 A/B Block 15 MLU fighters, which were delivered by March 2021.

Another contract, announced in December 2021, for an additional 32 F-16s was signed with Norway for €388 million. The first delivery of Norwegian F-16s took place in 2023. Under the contract, the F-16s will undergo the modification to the M6.5.2 Romanian configuration with US support before delivery. Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services provides support, maintenance and training of Romanian technical personnel.

On 2 February 2022, the President of Romania stated the intent to purchase the fifth-generation F-35 joint strike fighter as part of its Air Force modernization. On 11 April 2023, CSAT approved the F-35 acquisition plan. The contract was signed on 21 November 2024. The F-35 program is divided in two stages, first of 32 aircraft and the second of 16 aircraft for a total of 48 F-35s which will replace the F-16s between 2034 and 2040.

In 1818, during the reign of John Caradja, the prince of Wallachia, an unmanned hot air balloon was flown off Dealul Spirii in Bucharest. On 2 July [O.S. 20 June] 1874, Marius Willemot, the owner of the hydrogen balloon named Mihai Bravul [ro] flew together with Majors Iacob Lahovary, Constantin Poenaru and Dumitrescu over Bucharest. The last flight took place on 19 [O.S. 7 July] 1874, Willemot flying together with Colonel Nicolae Haralambie, Ion Ghica and a third person. The balloon had made its first flight in Paris on 27 March of the same year.