Romania eyes to buy over 10 Bayraktar UAVs from Türkiye

The Romanian Defence Ministry has said that Romania plans to buy three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) along with logistics support worth around $300 million from the Turkish Baykar company.

The ministry appealed to the parliament in early August 2022 to approve a tender procedure for the purchase of 18 Bayraktar TB2 drones for the Romanian Army as part of the modernisation of weapons which are used by the Armed Forces, APA reports referring to the ministry.

“The procurement which will begin in 2022 due to financial opportunities requires approval,” the ministry said.

Klaus Iohannis, the president of Romania, which has been a NATO member since 2004, said in March 2022 in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine that the country would increase defence spending from two per cent to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product in 2023.

The country, which has a 650-kilometre border with Ukraine, has the US missile defence systems and a NATO battlegroup deployed on its territory since this year.