Romania discusses joint counter-drone system development with Moldova

Romanian Prime Minister Luca Nicolescu said during a visit to Chisinau, the Moldovan capital, that Romania is discussing with Moldova the joint development of programmes to counter unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. The statement was reported by the Moldovan outlet Logos-Press and cited by the Ukrainian outlet European Pravda. The issue is pressing because both countries lie in a region where Russian attacks and related security threats are a concern.

Procurement and local production

According to the prime minister, developing a drone programme is one of the Romanian government's priorities. Bucharest's negotiations on acquiring counter-drone systems are said to be nearing completion, so that the equipment can be obtained as quickly as possible. At first these will be systems already familiar to the Moldovan side, and later ones that Romania intends to produce domestically.

Defence cooperation

Nicolescu stressed that Russian attacks are unacceptable and that protection must be ensured for all citizens, in both Moldova and Romania. He also mentioned the EU's SAFE programme (Security Action For Europe, a financial instrument for strengthening defence), which he said will bolster Romania's defence industry. In his words, both countries will benefit from it.

The prime minister also spoke about cooperation with Ukraine in developing the drone sector, taking into account experience of using such devices in real combat conditions.

Earlier steps

At the beginning of October, the defence ministries of Romania and Poland signed a letter of intent on cooperation under SAFE. In May, Romania's Ministry of National Defence signed a new contract for the supply of drones for surveillance and reconnaissance tasks, also under the EU's SAFE programme.