The Romanian army to receive new equipment

The defence ministry is to purchase corvettes manufactured in Romania, as well as 20 F16 airplanes.

Mihai Pelin, 17.03.2017, 13:02

Following this
year’s increase in defence spending to 2% of the GDP, the Romanian government
unveiled a project providing for the manufacturing of corvettes in Romania as
part of its ongoing army equipping programme.

The government
repealed an order by the previous government led by Dacian Ciolos that provided
for the purchase of military vessels from abroad and decided instead to build
them at a local naval shipyard, said the defence minister Gabriel Les. He said
the previous order was not in keeping with the law, which requires Parliament’s
approval for investments in excess of 100 million euros. The minister went on
to say that the army equipping programme will be resumed, this time in keeping
with the law, and that a memorandum will be sent to Parliament on plans to have
the corvettes manufactured entirely in Romania. The defence minister Gabriel
Les:

The integration
of these products will be made in Romania at a local shipyard. I hope we will
have a contract in this respect signed in 6 or 7 months’ time.

The defence
minister says Romania also plans to purchase at least 20 F16 multirole planes
to add to the Air Force’s squadron:

We want to
purchase at least 20 F16 planes which we plan to revitalise. We will work with
Parliament in respect of multiannual funding and multiannual contracts, which
we would very much like to achieve, given that we have committed politically to
allocate 2% of the GDP to defence spending. We would like the Romanian industry
to be involved as much as possible, both the private and state sector.

The first
squadron of F16 planes has been almost entirely delivered, with the remaining
three planes due to arrive soon. In 2013, Romania decided to purchase 12 used
F16 planes from Portugal for 628 million euros. Although this type of aircraft
was first launched 40 years ago, the planes themselves have since been
modernised and equipped with the latest technology and software specifications.
The planes bought by Romania are thus able to interact with those used by the
other NATO states. The planes are currently stationed at the air bases in
Fetesti, in the south-east, and Campia Turzii, in the centre, which have
themselves been modernised to accommodate this type of aircraft. In the
experts’ opinion, Romania needs 48 multirole planes, that is at least 4
squadrons.