Romania pushes forward with quest to acquire F-35As

Romania’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) has formally submitted a request to the Romanian Parliament to approve the purchase of 32 fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II multi-role stealth fighters, local media reported on August 9. The decision to acquire the F-35A was initially made by the Romanian Supreme Council on National Defense, which is chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, on April 11, 2023. Commenting on the move, Romania’s Minister of National Defence Angel Tîlvăr explained that: “The main threat to Romania’s