CSAT to approve Romanian air defence program

Romania's Supreme National Defence Council (CSAT) has adopted a series to measures to improve the country's deficient national defence capabilities.

October 2012 - From the Print Edition

CSAT members last month questioned the Romanian Army's capacities, both in peacetime and wartime, and in its participation in international missions. Minister of National Defence, Corneliu Dobritoiu, presented the Romanian air defence program. "Council members approved the Gradual Achievement of Air Defence Capability Conception project included in the Multirole Airplane for Air Forces program, which is consistent with the main security interests of the country and with the commitments assumed by Romania within the European and North-Atlantic organisations," said CSAT officials. "CSAT members concluded that Romania's Army has limited capacity to fulfil its missions and decided to ask the Romanian Government to present a battle capacity rehabilitation program by the following meeting."
On an official visit to Bulgaria to meet his counterpart, Anyu Angelov, in early September, Romania's Minister of National Defence addressed the process of multirole airplane acquisition by the Romanian Army, saying that the aircraft transition would be done with minimal costs.
"Romania's strategic option aims at fifth generation airplane acquisition only if the economic situation allows for it," said the Minister. "The current terms impose a pragmatic approach to find intelligent solutions for a transition with minimal costs. This way, we can use the aerodrome infrastructure elements for the operation of the planes."