Romania plans joint drone production with Ukraine under EU defense program – Reuters
Drone Industry
Romania is holding talks with Ukraine on joint drone production under the EU’s SAFE initiative, which provides funding for defense projects.
Reuters reported this, according to Censor.NET.
According to the agency, Romania shares a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine and has repeatedly faced violations of its airspace by Russian drones. In the past two years alone, drone fragments have fallen on its territory more than 20 times.
A Romanian government defense official said the country needs more air defense systems, but such resources are available only within NATO. Until then, Romania seeks to strengthen its protection through asymmetric defense measures.
According to sources, Bucharest is negotiating with Ukraine on using its "battle-tested technology" to establish joint drone production. The project is expected to be financed under the EU’s SAFE initiative, from which Romania will receive €16.6 billion.
Romania’s current defense arsenal includes F-16s, Patriot systems, HIMARS, South Korean Chiron missiles, and German Gepard self-propelled guns. The latter two are considered the most effective against drones, but deploying them widely along the entire border is far too costly.
