Romania has signed a deal worth more than 626 million euros ($726 million) to buy Mistral air defense systems from France, part of a joint procurement deal with several other European Union states, the Romanian Defense Ministry has confirmed.
The ministry said it signed a deal with the French Defense Ministry on Tuesday to buy 231 Mistral MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems) and 934 missiles, built by missile manufacturer MBDA, according to Reuters. The deal also includes training and simulators.
However, Romania has not specified when France will deliver the equipment. The country’s lawmakers first approved the acquisition plan in 2022.
Romania, a NATO member, shares a 650-kilometer (400-mile) land border with Ukraine. Drones have repeatedly violated Romanian airspace, and fragments have fallen on its territory since Russia began attacking Ukrainian ports across the Danube River in 2023.
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Romania’s air defense includes US F-16 fighter jets and Patriot systems, South Korea’s short-range man-portable air defense system Chiron missile, and Germany’s Gepard anti-aircraft guns.
According to media reports, the US-made Merops anti-drone system has already arrived in Romania and is in the testing phase. The system is in the final stages of being deployed in the country.
This article includes reporting from Reuters.