The Netherlands has deployed five F-16 fighter jets to train pilots at the European F-16 Training Centre in Romania.
The deployment is part of the Dutch government’s collaboration with the United States and Denmark to provide Ukraine with F-16 capabilities.
Under the program, the EFTC will use the aircraft to give flight instructors a refresher course, preparing them for training Romanian and Ukrainian pilots.
According to the Dutch Defence Ministry, the F-16 flight training course will only be carried out in NATO airspace.
The Netherlands-backed center, which is scheduled for inauguration soon, will house up to 18 F-16s to support the training program. The ministry clarified that the aircraft will remain its property.
The country in August committed to supply Ukraine with F-16s provided that a sufficient number of Ukrainian pilots are capable of flying the jet. The Dutch government also requires Ukraine to build infrastructure that supports the operational requirements of the aircraft.
To date, the Netherlands has sent $2.3 billion in military assistance to help Ukraine counter Russia’s invasion, the report said.