Still fighting at 50: F-16s prove their worth defending Nato's eastern flank

The F-16 fighter jet is Romania's weapon of choice for policing its airspace in an increasingly challenging time.

As war rages on over the border – these planes are kept primed and ready to answer the call if the country detects a threat from the skies. 

The F-16 is a 4th generation multi-role fighter that first flew back in 1974 that's capable of air-to-air combat and air-to-ground operations as well as maritime missions.

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The aircraft are operated by the Romanian air force’s 53rd Fighter Squadron who are based at Borcea 86th Air Base.

Captain Beraczko, callsign Tweak, said: "Even though it might look slightly old... this 50-year-old lady is taking up the fight and keeping up.

"Here, for the quick reaction alert, in order to keep our airspace integrity and support the Nato's eastern flank, we are equipped today with air-to-air missiles."

The jet is powered by a Pratt & Whitney engine, which can provide 56,000 pounds of thrust to the 15-metre aircraft.

The warplane can be armed with an AIM-120 AMRAAM beyond visual range missiles, AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range heat-seeking missiles – and also has an M61A1 Vulcan gatling gun.

"This is the smallest aircraft that has been built [that's] fighting nowadays, and we have a word 'it's hard to fight if you cannot see it in the air'," Capt Beraczko added.

"So when this jet is going to gun you, this jet, from the intake, is going to smile at you so, the guy that's killing you is going to smile."

He was referring to the shape of the air intake under the fuselage – which looks like a smiley face when seen from the front, or in a rear view mirror.

The Romanian air force achieved its first air-to-air victories since the Second World War back in July, when its F-16s shot down three suspected Russian military drones over a span of 72 hours.

Capt Beraczko said: “We are proud to say that my guys in the squadron were the ones who shot down a UAV drone inside Nato's airspace, a month ago.

"So, we brought our victory again, back from the World War 2, eight years after we fulfilled having an air victory."