Romania and the United States have signed an agreement that establishes guidelines on hosting American bases in the Eastern European country. According to Associated Press news service, Romanian Foreign Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu said, “It’s what our grandparents and parents have waited to see for 60 years and what hundreds of thousands of Romanians who were detained in Communist prisons have hoped for.” Romanian President Traian Basescu offered three potential base locations last month, including an air base, a training range, and the port facilities in Constanta on the Black Sea.
With upgrades, F-16s can serve as a numbers-builder in the combat air forces until the 2040s, and it’s not necessary to launch its successor yet, program officials said at an industry conference. “We anticipate hundreds of F-16s in active service for decades to come,” meaning into the 2040s, Col. Tim…