Romania to spend $2.1 billion on short-range air defense systems

Europe, News November 28, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The Romanian government has unveiled its plans to spend up to $2.1 billion on procuring short-range air defense systems. Bucharest has invited bids from international defense manufacturers for short-range air defense systems.

According to a Romanian Ministry of Defense tender, the country is seeking mobile short-range air defense systems (SHORAD) and very short-range air defense systems (VSHORAD) from European and Israeli defense manufacturers. As part of the program, Romania plans to gradually acquire at least 41 new air defense systems.

As the name suggests, SHORAD and VSHORAD are a group of land-based anti-aircraft weapons that deal with low-altitude aerial threats, primarily helicopters, medium-range drones, and low-flying aircraft such as the A-10 or Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft. Norwegian-American NASAMS system, the German Iris-T, the French VL Mica, South Korean M-SAM, and Israel’s Spyder are the main contenders for the tender.

Bucharest bought the U.S.-made Patriot system for the longer-range air defense and plans to integrate missile defense systems with the emerging NATO-wide network, known as the alliance’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense concept.

Romania’s air defense systems

Currently, Romania’s air defense mechanism relies on 4 batteries of the U.S.-made MIM-104E/F Patriot PAC-2 and GEM-T/PAC-3 long-range systems. Apart from the recently acquired air defense systems, Romania also has a Hawk Phase IIIR air defense system and 6 Soviet-era S-75M3 air defense systems.

Romania Hawk-SAM — *^{Hawk-SAM being towed by a truck on the Romanian National Day parade on December 1st, at the Triumph Arch in Bucharest. (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)}*

The Romanian government has significantly increased its efforts to strengthen the country’s land and aerial defense capabilities. The recent effort to acquire Abrams tanks enables Romania’s land forces to replace some of their outdated Soviet-era tanks. Integration of the U.S.-made tanks would also increase Romanian forces’ interoperability with its Western allies.

Upgrading arsenals

Under the increasing pressure from its allies and the changing security situation of the region due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Romania is among several other Eastern European countries that are rapidly evaluating their defense strategy and upgrading their arsenals. Romania shares a 400-mile-long border with Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) approved Romania’s request to purchase 54 M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks. The potential sale would cost around $2.5 billion.

U.S. Army M2A3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle — ^{A Bradley Fighting Vehicle assigned to First Battalion, Eighth Infantry Regiment “Fighting Eagles,” Third Armored Brigade Combat Team, Fourth Infantry Division, moves into position as UH-60 Blackhawks assigned to Third Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, First Air Cavalry Brigade, First Air Cavalry Division, conduct a fly over during an air-assault demonstration at Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania, July 30, 2022. (Image Credit: U.S. Army/Staff Sergeant Malcolm Cohens-Ashley)}

Romania has also been making efforts to strengthen its aerial power. The U.S. defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin established a European F-16 training center in Romania in September 2023. the European Center of F-16 will focus on “ensuring the effectiveness and safety of Romanians flying and operating F-16 fighter jets and could eventually expand to include training for other nations.”

At present, there are several hundred F-16 jets operating across Europe. Romania, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, Greece, and Turkey, among other European states, are using F-16s to protect airspace and support integrated NATO peacekeeping missions.