Summary and Key Points You Need to Know: Romania has joined the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, becoming the 20th country and the second after Greece to acquire the stealth fighter jet.

-The U.S. State Department approved the sale of 32 F-35A jets to Romania for $7.2 billion, bolstering NATO's defenses against Russia.

-Though delivery will take at least six years due to high demand and manufacturing delays, Romania's addition will enhance NATO's airpower in Europe.

-The F-35 Lightning II, available in three variants (A, B, and C), serves multiple roles from air superiority to electronic warfare, making it a versatile asset for NATO forces.

-Romania became the 20th country to enter the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program after the U.S. State Department cleared the sale of 32 stealth fighter jets to the European country.

Romania Goes F-35 Stealth

In exchange for an estimated $7.2 billion, Romania will become the second country after Greece to fly the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet.

Washington cleared the sale of 32 F-35A stealth fighter jets and related equipment to Romania.

The addition of Romania to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program further reinforces NATO's defenses and deterrence capability. Given the extremely high demand for the stealth fighter jet and the recent manufacturing issues that held deliveries back, it will be at least six years before the Romanian Air Force receives any aircraft. However, in the long term, NATO will strengthen against its main adversary, Russia.

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe,” the State Department said in a press release.

With Romania's addition to the F-35 family, NATO will have approximately 600 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets over the coming years, just from the European members of NATO. (Switzerland has also purchased 36 F-35A fighter jets, but it is not a member of NATO.)

Of course, that number can swell with the addition of American F-35s stationed in Europe or coming from the U.S. The U.S. military remains by far the largest customer of the F-35, with a total order of 2,456 aircraft of all three types divided between the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps.

“The proposed sale will improve Romania’s capability to meet current and future threats by equipping it to conduct self-defense and regional security missions while enhancing interoperability with the United States and other NATO members. Romania will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces,” the State Department added.

The F-35 Lightning II

As a multirole aircraft, the F-35 Lightning II can conduct Strategic Attack, Air Superiority, Close Air Support, Electronic Warfare, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), and Destruction Enemy Air Defense (DEAD). 

The aircraft has three versions: A, B, and C. Romania will be getting the F-35A, which is the standard landing version. The F-35B is the Short Take-off, Vertical Landing (STOVL) version that can take off and land like a helicopter. Finally, the F-35C is designed to operate from aircraft carriers.

In many ways, the F-35 stealth fighter jet is a Swiss Army knife that can do several different mission sets that would otherwise require several aircraft. It is perhaps at its best when flying alongside other aircraft specializing in particular mission sets, directing them to targets and coordinating the “play” much like a quarterback would do in an NFL game.

For example, in air-to-air combat, the F-35 is great from a distance but would probably lose in a dogfight with an F-16 Fighting Falcon or F-22 Raptor.

But an F-35 flying alongside F-16s and F-22s would be able to take out Chinese and Russian aircraft from hundreds of miles away.

About the Author 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

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