The Romanian Ministry of Defense announced that it will purchase French Mistral air defense systems worth over €626 million as part of a joint procurement agreement with several other European Union countries.
The ministry stated that it signed the agreement with the French Ministry of Defense on Tuesday for the purchase of 231 Mistral (MANPADS) air defense systems — produced by missile company MBDA — and 934 missiles. The deal also includes training, simulators, and logistics support.
The announcement did not specify when these systems would be delivered to Romania. Romanian lawmakers initially approved the plan to purchase these weapons in 2022.
Romania, an EU and NATO member, shares a 650-kilometer land border with Ukraine. The country has faced repeated airspace violations and drone debris since Russia began attacks on ports along the Danube River near Kyiv, reports RFE/RL.
Currently, Romania’s air defense includes F-16 fighter jets, Patriot missile systems, HIMARS rocket launchers produced by Lockheed Martin, South Korean short-range Chiron missiles, and German-made Gepard anti-aircraft weapons.
Romania also aims to collaborate with Ukraine on drone development under a new EU defense financing mechanism.
Additionally, Romania is in the final stages of deploying Merops counter-drone systems supplied by the United States.
