Romania and Ukraine plan joint drone production under the auspices of the EU

The Romanian government is planning a partnership with Ukraine to manufacture drones as part of a new defense program funded by the European Union.

This project is to be part of the SAFE initiative, under which Romania will have €16.6 billion at its disposal to strengthen its defense capabilities.

Romania and Ukraine share a common border of about 650 kilometers. Over the past two years, Romanian airspace has repeatedly come into contact with unmanned aerial vehicles, which are believed to be linked to Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports.

Romania's current air defense systems include Patriot systems, HIMARS rocket launchers, Chiron short-range missiles from South Korea, German Gepard anti-aircraft guns, and F-16 fighter jets.

The Romanian government stated that the partnership with Ukraine, which has extensive experience in the combat use of these devices, is intended to strengthen the Romanian defense industry and regional security cooperation within the European Union.

(reuters, sie)