The two-phase procurement program aims to “increase the operational capacity of the army, in order to fulfill both the country's defense missions and international commitments.”
In the first phase, Romania would acquire more than $458 million worth of additional equipment for a tank battalion already equipped with the M1A2 Abrams. The second phase calls for the purchase of 216 Abrams tanks for EUR6.5 billion ($7.6 billion), a figure that includes logistical support and specialized training equipment.
The ministry also mentioned plans to deepen technological and industrial cooperation with the United States. That cooperation would cover localized production, maintenance, and repairs of the vehicles on Romanian soil.
On Sept. 13, Romania’s Defense Ministry reported that F-16 fighter jets detected a Russian drone in national airspace at 6:23 p.m. The aircraft pursued it until about 20 kilometers northwest of Chilia Veche (municipality bordering Ukraine's Odesa Oblast), where it disappeared from radar.