Defence Funding Through the SAFE Program
On Tuesday, the Romanian government published a detailed list of procurement contracts under the European Union’s SAFE program, through which it will receive nearly 17 billion euros
Sorin Iordan, 03.06.2026, 14:00
Romania will receive approximately 16.7 billion euros for the procurement of military equipment and infrastructure through the Security Action for Europe program, known as SAFE, which is designed to strengthen the defence industry. 4.2 billion euros will be used to complete the sections of the A7 highway, which connects the south of the country to the northern border with Ukraine, and the A8, which crosses the Eastern Carpathians and links the historical regions of Transylvania and Moldavia to the Republic of Moldova, hence the name “the Union Highway.” The remainder of the funds, approximately 12.5 billion euros, is earmarked for military purposes, and the government in Bucharest has published a detailed list of procurement contracts.
To date, the Romanian government has signed contracts to purchase over 200 infantry fighting vehicles, two maritime patrol vessels and two diver support vessels, 11 air defence systems, 34 military drone systems, 934 Mistral short-range surface-to-air missiles -air missiles with a very short range, used for close-in air defense, and 6 helicopters for transporting troops and military equipment.
One of the contracts, worth 5.7 billion euros, was signed with the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, which described the deal as “the largest package of international contracts in the company’s recent history.” Rheinmetall announced that it plans to invest several hundred million euros in Romania, which will lead to the creation of thousands of new jobs and the subcontracting of over 200 companies that will serve the supply chain. The German manufacturer has already been active on the Romanian market for several years through its subsidiary Rheinmetall Automecanica, headquartered in Mediaș, in central Romania. “The contract signed between the Romanian authorities and Rheinmetall represents not only an opportunity to modernise Romania’s defence capabilities, but also an important step toward revitalising the national defense industry, as over 50% of production will take place in Romania or in collaboration with local companies,” reads a press release issued by the Office of the Romanian Prime Minister.
Also under the SAFE program, Bucharest has ordered modern air defence and anti-drone capabilities worth approximately 3 billion euros in response to the threat posed by Russian drones. Last week, such a device exploded over an apartment building in Galaţi (southeast) and injured two people in the most serious incident the country has faced since the start of the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. Acting Defence Minister Radu Miruţă has stated that the first deliveries of anti-drone devices will begin in about a year and a half and that, in the meantime, Romania has officially requested support from NATO allies to strengthen its anti-drone defence capabilities.
Also, the government in Bucharest has announced that, in the coming period, it will sign additional procurement contracts with France for 12 radars capable of detecting low-flying aircraft and for 12 helicopters designed for long-range missions, with high transport capacity and the ability to operate in difficult conditions. (MI)
