Reuters: Romania wants to use Ukraine's combat experience to produce drones
Photo: General Staff

Romania plans to cooperate with Ukraine in the production of drones under the new EU defense financing mechanism. About writes Reuters, citing informed sources.

According to the agency, Ukrainian drone technology has already undergone large-scale combat tests, and it is this technology that they want to use for joint production.

The project will be funded by the European Union's SAFE initiative, which provides for the rearmament of the bloc's member states.

Romania will have 16.6 billion euros ($19.4 billion) at its disposal under this program. Prime Minister Iliese Bolojan has previously said that this will allow for an annual defense procurement of about 1% of GDP for five years.

At the same time, the agency's source emphasized that it would take at least seven years to deploy a multi-level air defense system.

Until then, defense against air threats will remain "asymmetric" and very expensive, and such costs can only be covered at the NATO level.

Currently, Romania's air defense system includes F-16 fighters, Patriot systems, American HIMARS systems, as well as South Korean short-range Chiron missiles and German Gepard anti-aircraft systems.

The latter are considered to be the most effective against drones, but it is impossible to completely close the 650-kilometer border with Ukraine because of the high costs.