What fighter will Romania go for in 2010, to replace its Lancers?

Date Posted: 23-Jul-2004

JANE’S DEFENCE WEEKLY – JULY 28, 2004

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Romania to withdraw Lancers by 2010
Radu Tudor JDW Correspondent
Bucharest

Romania is to withdraw its MiG-21 Lancer fighters from 2008 to 2010. They will be gradually replaced by a “new multi-purpose fighter”, according to General Gheorghe Catrina, chief of the Romanian Air Force (RoAF), speaking on 19 July.

Talks on “assessing the best solutions for replacing these MiG fighters” with 36 to 48 modern combat aircraft will start in 2005, Gen Catrina said.

The upgrade of 110 MiG-21s to Lancer configuration, is to done by Aerostar and Elbit Systems of Israel under a contract valued in excess of $400 million, was completed in 2002.

The RoAF is also putting its 18 MiG-29 fighters (withdrawn from service in 2002) up for sale, Catrina said. The defence ministry had decided that it would be more profitable to sell the aircraft than to try to modernise them.

Meanwhile, the RoAF is preparing a long-term re-equipment programme for 2005 to 2020. Among the items being considered are four HAWK-21 medium-range surface-to-air missile batteries, 12 IAR- 330 Puma helicopters, nine medium air transports, four more C-130 Hercules airlifters and 19 MMSR ‘gap-filler’ radar systems.

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