The protest of European military aircraft giants against the decision of Romania's Supreme Defence Council (CSAT) to acquire American F16 aircraft is growing more intense, with the Eurofighter consortium joining Swedish group SAAB at the end of last week, expressing "disappointment" with this decision.

At stake are not only the 1.3 billion dollars (almost 1 billion euros) that the Romanian Government will set aside to acquire 24 second-hand American fighter planes, to replace ageing Russian MIG 21. Another contract for the purchase of a further 24 new aircraft, will be signed in the future, which could be worth in excess of one billion euros, considering that a fighter aircraft costs between 50 and 80 million euros on the market.

The European military companies are now putting pressure on the Romanian Parliament, considering that it has to approve the "in principle" decision of the Supreme Defence Council. In the Supreme Defence Council decisions are consensual, but the president of the country has the last say.

The Eurofighter consortium "regrets that this decision was made without an international call for tenders, as is standard procedure in European Union countries."

The protest of European military aircraft giants against the decision of Romania's Supreme Defence Council (CSAT) to acquire American F16 aircraft is growing more intense, with the Eurofighter consortium joining Swedish group SAAB at the end of last week, expressing "disappointment" with this decision.

At stake are not only the 1.3 billion dollars (almost 1 billion euros) that the Romanian Government will set aside to acquire 24 second-hand American fighter planes, to replace ageing Russian MIG 21. Another contract for the purchase of a further 24 new aircraft, will be signed in the future, which could be worth in excess of one billion euros, considering that a fig