BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania is considering opening a regional training hub for F-16 fighter jet pilots which would ultimately be available to its NATO allies and partners, including Ukraine, the country's supreme defence council (CSAT) said on Thursday.
Romania, both a European Union and NATO member, has raised defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product this year from 2%, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The country, which shares a 650-km (400 mile) border with Ukraine, is host to a U.S. ballistic missile defence system and, as of last year, has a permanent alliance battlegroup stationed on its territory.
"Together with other allies and the company which builds this fighter plane, a regional hub will be created in Romania to train pilots who will fly these jets," CSAT said in a statement following a meeting ahead of next week's NATO summit in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.
"Romanian pilots operating F-16 planes will be trained here, and the facility will later be open to pilots from allied states and NATO partners, including Ukraine."
The F-16 is made by Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT).
At a meeting in April, CSAT said Romania would aim to buy the latest-generation U.S. F-35 fighter planes, also made by Lockheed Martin, to boost its air defences.
In March, the Defence Ministry said Romania would buy Abrams tanks made by General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), as part of wider defence acquisition plans.