Sentinel radar systems for Romania

Romania will purchase high-power American radars, which will significantly increase the defense capacity against potential threats.

Mihai Pelin, 09.10.2024, 13:50

Romania will purchase high-power American radars, which will significantly increase the defense capacity against potential threats.

The US State Department has approved the sale to Romania of four Sentinel radar systems. The Sentinel system is a state-of-the-art system and will significantly increase the deterrence and defense ability against potential threats. The acquisition program includes, besides four radar systems, logistic support, training services, communication equipment, technical assistance and transport services, for equipping the ground-based air defense battalions of the Romanian Land Forces. The radars will help improve airspace surveillance, especially against the latest threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles with low speeds and low radar footprints. Sentinel is a three-dimensional radar – that can measure the distance, direction and elevation of manned and unmanned air objects, data that it automatically reports to ground-based air defense command and control systems. This system supports multiple command and control interfaces, providing consistent air surveillance data. It can detect, identify and track unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles and fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. First built in 1995, the Sentinel radar is deployed to air defense units in forward operating bases of the US military.

With an initial total value of approximately 90 million dollars, the first two systems will be financed mainly through grants from the Foreign Military Financing Fund of the US State Department. U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Kavalec stated, “Romania’s acquisition of the Sentinel radar system underscores the long-standing security partnership between our two countries. These radar systems will greatly increase the early warning for potential threats to Romanian cities and critical infrastructure, and better protect the territory and citizens of Romania. The acquisition of the Sentinel improves the security of Romania, our NATO Ally and an important force for political and economic stability in Europe.”

The Romanian Defense Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, said that the state-of-the-art military equipment acquired through the collaboration with the United States has essentially changed the profile of the Romanian Army at the level of action capacity in the Black Sea region and strengthened interoperability with allied armies and partners. State-of-the-art radars will complement the country’s air defense capabilities, especially in terms of the early detection of unmanned aerial vehicles, which fly at low travel speeds and have reduced radar footprints, threats that exist in the proximity of national borders, in the context Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the defense minister also said.