Everything You Need to Know: Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II is seeing increased demand, with Romania set to purchase 32 jets for $7.2 billion. This sale would make Romania the third Eastern European NATO member to operate the F-35, enhancing regional security and interoperability with the U.S. and NATO. Delivery is expected in the early 2030s.

-Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates is considering reviving its F-35 deal if Donald Trump wins a second term, despite concerns over the UAE's use of Huawei's 5G network.

-The UAE has also explored purchasing the Chinese J-20 Mighty Dragon.

Lockheed Martin Strikes Gold – More Countries Operating the F-35 Lightning II

Orders for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II are set to increase, as the U.S. State Department announced last week that it had approved the sale of the fifth-generation stealth fighter to NATO ally Romania. The Eastern European nation has looked to close a $7.2 billion deal for 32 of the aircraft along with Pratt & Whitney F135 spare engines for the jets.

"The sale would provide Romania, a NATO member, its first two squadrons of F-35s, and the country wants to later buy 16 more jets to make up a third squadron. If the deal is finalized, it could make Romania the third Eastern European country to fly the F-35, in addition to Poland and the Czech Republic," Defense News reported.

The F-35 would also "improve Romania’s capability to meet current and future threats by further equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions while enhancing interoperability with the United States and other NATO members," the State Department said in a statement.

Lockheed Martin has seen the demand for the F-35 soar in recent years, in part driven by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine more than two-and-a-half years ago. The Lightning II has been touted as being the most advanced multirole fighter in service today. However, the influx of orders means that Bucharest shouldn't expect to see the aircraft in service until at least the early 2030s.

Yet Romania, a former member of the Warsaw Pact, has set to replace the last of its Soviet-made jet fighters dating to the Cold War and its order would make it among NATO's largest operator of the Lighting II on its eastern flank.

As a stopgap until the F-35s begin to arrive, Romania has purchased 32 F-16 Fighting Falcons from NATO member Norway. As of this June, Bucharest had received nine of those fighters.

The UAE is Still Looking for the F-35

Although there has been no shortage of rumors that some of America's allies would prefer former President Donald Trump not return to the White House, especially following his claims that he would demand they pay their fair share – another partner is likely holding out hope for a second Trump administration.

According to a report from Reuters, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) could "revive a multi-billion dollar deal with the U.S. for F-35 warplanes and armed drones if Donald Trump wins a second term as president in November.

The former president had signed off on the proposed deal with the Middle Eastern nation prior to his leaving the White House, despite previous protests from Israel. Multiple sources have reportedly told Reuters that Abu Dhabi would "seek to resume talks, asking a new Trump administration to fulfill the original agreement."

The UAE has also considered the acquisition of the Chinese Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, but no deal has been finalized.

There could be several issues that could potentially derail any F-35 deal with the UAE, even if Trump does return to the White House. The U.S. State Department has expressed concerns over the UAE's adoption of the Chinese Huawaei 5G network, which Simple Flying reported was a sticking point that derailed the Lightning II deal during the Biden administration. Given Trump's tough talk on China, it would seem difficult to accept a Trump administration could look past that issue – but we won't know for another two months at least.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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