US Airmen from the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB, Italy, deployed to Campia Turzii, Romania for Dacian Viper 2014, a bilateral training exercise that ran from 10-17 April 2014. The exercise was designed to enhance interoperability and readiness through combined air operations, including air-to-air, air-to-ground, and joint tactical air controller training. Six F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 510th Fighter Squadron at Aviano and MiG-21s from the Romanian 71st AB were flown by their respective country's pilots. Aviano maintainers, crew chiefs, firefighters, aerospace ground equipment technicians, air traffic controllers, and supply, logistics, and support personnel also participated. In 2013, Romania signed a contract to acquire twelve F-16s from Portugal to replace the MiG-21s.
