BUCHAREST, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Romanian Defense Minister Adrian Tutuianu said on Wednesday that the country is considering acquiring modern Patriot missile batteries and a payment towards the deal could be made this November.
The government is considering acquiring the most up-to-date configuration of the Patriot system, namely PAC 3 Plus that has an estimated useful life of 30 years, the minister told a press conference, underlining that the acquisitions are to be made in the context of the partnership with the United States and the risks and threats to Romania's airspace.
His statement was soon confirmed in a way by Prime Minister Mihai Tudose who said that an acquisition plan of the Defense Ministry for the Army will be discussed and approved next week.
"We earmarked 2 percent (of the gross domestic product) to the Defense Ministry's budget...the money will be spent on what the National Defense Ministry decides and requests," said the prime minister.
According to the defense minister, the small and medium-range surface-to-air missile systems currently used by Romania are largely obsolete, as most of them were made in the USSR, the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and technical operating resources are almost overused and their chances for upgrading are unsustainable.
"If things go as planned, we expect that somewhere at the end of October, we can have a final result to communicate to the public," said the official, adding that "we are expecting to make a payment towards the acquisition this November."
Tutuianu estimated that a first Patriot system could reach Romania in 2018.
Earlier, U.S. Ambassador in Bucharest Hans Klemm told local media late Monday that Romania began negotiations with the United States on the purchase of Patriot batteries earlier this year.
According to Klemm, the acquisition will not only provide protection against aggressive air attacks for Romania, but "also contributes to the defense of Romania's neighbours and the NATO alliance as a whole." On July 11, the U.S. Department of State approved a possible sale of Patriot systems to Romania worth 3.9 billion U.S. dollars.
