BUCHAREST (Reuters) – Romania aims to buy the latest generation U.S. F-35 fighter planes to boost its air defences, the country’s supreme defence council (CSAT) said in a statement on Tuesday.
The European Union and NATO state has raised defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product this year from 2%, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The country, which shares a 650-km (400 mile) border with Ukraine, is host to a U.S. ballistic missile defence system and, as of last year, has a permanent alliance battlegroup stationed on its territory.
“Having robust, credible, interoperable, flexible and efficient air defence operational capabilities … as part of our commitments as a NATO and EU state is key to Romania meeting its defence policy objectives,” the statement said.
“The air force’s modernisation process will continue through the acquisition of last generation F-35 jets.”
The council did not elaborate on timing or numbers.
Last year, President Klaus Iohannis said Romania was mulling acquiring F-35 planes, which are made by U.S. weapons maker Lockheed Martin Corp.
In March, the defense ministry said Romania would buy Abrams tanks made by General Dynamics, as part of wider defence acquisitions plans. In December, Romania’s defence ministry signed a deal to acquire seven Watchkeeper X unmanned aircraft systems from Israeli defence electronics firm Elbit Systems for roughly 1.89 billion lei ($418.02 million).
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
