December 10 (SeeNews) - NATO member Romania has prepared a draft bill for the planned purchase of five more F-16 fighter jets from Portugal for 333.2 million euro ($369 million), the document showed on Tuesday.
The draft bill will be discussed by the lower house of Romanian parliament, according to data published on the website of the Chamber of Deputies.
According to the draft law, the delivery of four aircraft is scheduled for 2020, while the fifth jet fighter will be delivered in 2021.
The intended purchase was first announced in July 2018.
"If we do not get this law voted and contract signed by the end of the year, the whole process must be resumed in 2020. Thus, the entire schedule will be delayed and there is a possibility of financial losses," defence minister Nicolae Ciuca said in a televised statement on Monday.
In October 2017, Romania received the last three US-made F-16 fighter jets second-hand from Portugal, as part of Bucharest's programme to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-era MiG fighter jets with combat aircraft that comply with NATO standards. In 2016, the country received the first nine F-16 fighter jets from Portugal under the programme.
The total cost of the squadron of F-16 jets was 628 million euro, according to the defence ministry.
Romania, which joined NATO in 2004, plans to spend a total of 9.8 billion euro until 2026 to boost its defence capabilities.
($= 0.9029 euro)