Romania eyes F-16 jets, rocket system amid defense spending hike

August 4, 2017

Defense News:

WARSAW, Poland — Romanian Defense Minister Adrian Tutuianu has unveiled plans by Bucharest to acquire High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and 36 F-16 fighter jets by 2022.

“These acquisitions are in the interest of safeguarding the security needs of Romania, but also to respect the government’s commitments in relation to NATO’s structures,” Tutuianu said, as reported by local news site News.ro.

The announcement comes in the wake of Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense approving a plan to spend €9.8 billion (U.S. $11.6 billion) on military procurements in the years 2017 to 2026. The state body, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, identified a number of programs in its procurement plan for the Romanian military. These include procurements of four- and eight-wheel drive armored vehicles, C4I systems, missile launchers, and other weapons and equipment.

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