NATO nations are moving closer to starting a program to supply Ukraine with F-16 jets in a few months, and the Western coalition is eyeing Romania as a possible base to train Ukrainian pilots, according to three people familiar with the plans, according to Politico.

“Romania is one of the locations that the coalition is looking at for training,” said one Western official, who spoke on condition of anonymity along with a current and former Defense Department official.

According to current and former Pentagon officials, the group is working on a contract to conduct aircraft training at a base in Romania. Lockheed Martin, which builds the F-16, is likely to lead the training, they added.

Currently, Romania has only 17 F-16 aircraft

The Romanian Air Force has a fleet of 17 second-hand F-16s purchased from Portugal and is set to purchase another 32 from Norway. However, Bucharest recently approved a plan to purchase the more advanced F-35, Politico notes.

Romania plays an important role in NATO’s Air Police mission, an international task force assigned to constantly patrol European skies to quickly respond to airspace violations. NATO countries are regularly mobilized to intercept Russian planes flying in the area, the publication notes.

Answering the question of whether there are negotiations on the training of Ukrainian pilots in Romania, the Ministry of Defense in Bucharest did not confirm, but did not deny that they are considering this country.

But, commenting more broadly, the ministry said Wednesday that in a statement emailed to Politico, Romania “welcomes the initiative to create a coalition of NATO allies to provide pilot training for the F-16.”

“We reiterate that Romania is closely cooperating with its NATO allies, with its EU partners, with its strategic partners and with the leadership of Ukraine to ensure the Ukrainian nation’s ability to resist illegal Russian aggression and the occupation of the sovereign territory of Ukraine,” the Ministry of Defense said in its response.

Training center in Eastern Europe

Ukrainian pilots will first undergo a basic training course and a language course under the supervision of Britain before starting training on planes, the British government announced last week.

Details of the curriculum emerged after President Joe Biden endorsed the effort last month. The Netherlands and Denmark are leading the multinational training effort, but the partners have not yet decided which countries will provide the aircraft needed for the training.

European officials did not want to confirm or deny the fact of discussion of the proposal to train Ukrainian pilots in Romania. Together with Denmark and the Netherlands, Great Britain, the USA, Portugal, Norway and Belgium are part of the educational coalition.

A Dutch defense ministry spokesman said only that the partners were working to establish an F-16 training center in Eastern Europe. But the discussion about which country will later donate the planes has not yet been resolved.

“There is no talk of F16 delivery now. We are working to start F-16 training as soon as possible (together with Denmark). Shipping requires a separate decision-making process,” the spokesperson said.

The training of Ukrainian pilots will begin no later than this summer

Denmark’s acting defense minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, expressed hope that he could present a “concept” in time for the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, and that training would begin this summer.

“In recent weeks, I had several opportunities to discuss with colleagues possible models of training Ukrainian pilots and support personnel for F-16 aircraft. I am very pleased to see that the coalition behind F-16 pilot training and support personnel continues to expand,” he said in an emailed response Wednesday.

“This will be an important long-term strategic step,” the official said.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, were briefed last week on the group’s progress, Austin told reporters during a visit to Brussels, adding that “there is still a lot of work to do.”

A Lockheed representative pointed to comments made this week by the company’s chief operating officer, Frank St. John, according to which the company is ready to train Ukrainian pilots to operate and maintain F-16 aircraft, as soon as Western countries agree to send them.