Washington DC - The US State Department on Friday said it had approved the sale of dozens of F-35 fighter jets to its NATO ally Romania, a deal worth $7.2 billion.

The contract, which must still be approved by Congress, covers Bucharest's purchase of 32 F-35A aircraft and related equipment, produced by the US aerospace and military giant Lockheed Martin.

"This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally that is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe," a State Department statement said.

The contract announcement comes as Ukrainian pilots began training this week at a special center in Romania on F-16s, US-made fighter jets that Washington has approved Kyiv to use against Russia.

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Romania occupies a strategic position at the gateway to Ukraine and the Black Sea, and aims to become an international hub for F-16 training. It inaugurated an F-16 training center at its Fetesti air base in November 2023, pledging to also train Ukrainians there.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met his Romanian counterpart Luminita Odobescu on Thursday, thanking Bucharest for delivering a Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine.

The State Department also announced the approval on Friday of a $4.1-billion sale to Japan of a KC-46A aerial refueling tanker.