Romania will be the first European country to acquire the (Iron dome, in English), according to Defense Minister Ion Mosteanu, in an interview with Romanian public television. “They are defensive missile batteries that we don’t have and that we need”Moșteanu said in the interview.
“When we see Tel Aviv images during the Iranian attack and observe the Iron Dome in Action, that same system also will protect our airports, military bases or, if necessary, our cities“He added about the recent Iranian attacks against Israeli soil.
The purchase is part of the Romanian strategy to reinforce national security and contract, valued in 1.9 billion dollars and promoted by a tender launched in 2023, it is expected that conclude this fallaccording to local media.
The only company that remains in the tender is the Israeli Rafaelresponsible for the development of the system, so the Romanian authorities give it as a winner although the tender, officially, has not yet concluded.
The Iron Dome system is designed to intercept ballistic missiles, rockets and drones in short -range trajectoriesand is used in Israel to Protect key infrastructure and urban areas.
Moșteanu said that around the 30 % of the Romanian Defense Budgetwhich reaches 2.5 % of GDP, is currently intended for shopping military.
In addition to Iron Dome, Romania, who, PLanea Acquire short -range missiles, corvettes and wants to participate in joint projects such as the Mistral portable anti -aircraft system 3 manpad.
The selected variant of the Iron Dome system, the Spyderwill replace both the old Soviet systems in use and the most veteran US systems Hawk.
These will be integrated into a stratified defense that already includes the long -range systems and the American anti -emissile shield located at the DeVveelu base.
A complex context
The Russian threat plans above all this investment and integration in defense. From the beginning of the “special military operation” of Russia, Bucharest He has intensified his military alliances and reinforced his defensefearful that a Russian victory in Ukraine could extend the instability to its own borders or even the neighbor Moldavia.
Romania has not only become a strategic ally for those of, which has resulted in that it has provided military and logistics support for Ukrainians, but has also invested in a significant modernization of its armed forces and has increased its defense budget by 2024, to the point of allocating 19,000 million euros in preparation for confrontation scenarios.
Now has the second largest army of NATO eastern flankwhich reinforces its key ally role in the region. The Israeli dome will put it more sheltered, while in parallel it is about preventing them from arriving. At the moment, in May the citizens They prevented the government from falling into ultra -rightists who support the Kremlin and pro -European and Proucranian mood is guaranteed.
