Defense minister says Romania on path to acquire first Patriot missile system and in advance talks to buy 36 other F16 aircrafts

Minister for Defence ,Mihai Fifor ,stated on Wednesday that „by the end of the year, the Romanian army will acquire its first Patriot missile system”. He then added: „We are in advanced discussions to buy another 36 F16 aircrafts, from the United States of America, not from Portugal. We are at the beginning of this negotiation.”

Minister Fifor said that „we will show that we are a credible partner and will honor Romania’s commitments to its strategic partners.”

Also on Wednesday Fifor said: „Of the 45 attack helicopters that Romania plans to buy the first will be made on the Texas line, but the vast majority will be made on the line of which Bell Helicopters will have at Ghimbav, in Brasov county”, Central Romania. It is for the first time when an official announces publicly the exact number of attack helicopters that our country proposes to acquire from Bell Helicopters, after a letter of price and availability was signed in August between the Romanian Government and the American firm. Although not yet officially confirmed, the target model would be the AH-1Z Viper helicopter.

„We want to transfer technology, the know-how to Romania, we want to have industrial cooperation in the field of defense and, in principle, we want to restart the Romanian defense industry, which has been very well positioned and recognized worldwide to a certain moment,” minister Fifor said for Antena 3 TV news channel.

Defence Minister Fifor said that Romania is also negotiating with Bell Helicopters for the production of attack helicopters at Ghimbav.