US anti-drone system to help Romania deter Russian incursions
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Romanian Minister of Defence Ionut Mosteanu said the new Merops system is close to deployment.
PHOTO: EPA
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Romania’s defence chief said the Nato member state will soon be able to deploy a US-supplied anti-drone system to thwart a rising number of airspace breaches by Russia.
Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu said the new Merops system is close to deployment as Moscow more aggressively tests the military alliance’s capabilities on its eastern flank.
US General Christopher Donahue, who spoke alongside Mr Mosteanu, said the system is nearly ready.
“We have tested it and it is in the final stages of being deployed,” the US Army commander for Europe and Africa told reporters at the Mihail Kogalniceanu military base near the Black Sea coast.
European leaders are seeking a united front in the face of increased Russian aggression, especially in nations bordering Ukraine such as Romania and Poland. A jump in the number of drone incursions risks exposing Nato’s vulnerabilities on its eastern flank.
Concerns are running high for Romania since the country is heavily impacted by a recent US decision to reduce the number of troops in Europe.
Mr Mosteanu had aimed to celebrate US Thanksgiving with American troops, but cut short plans to grapple with the crash of a potential Russian drone.
Shortly after watching Eurofighter Typhoon jets return from a mission to track airspace breaches following Russian strikes on neighbouring Ukraine, Mr Mosteanu said Romania and Poland are in the final stages of setting up the new anti-drone system.
“Today should have been a day of celebration, but unfortunately we have to face a new Russian provocation towards Romania,” Mr Mosteanu told reporters.
Earlier in November, the country had to evacuate hundreds of people from two villages close to the border with Ukraine after a Russian drone hit a Turkish oil tanker in the Ukrainian port of Izmail, because of the risk of explosion.
The military base, which is set to become one of Nato’s largest in coming years, hosts some 800 US soldiers as well as aircraft and equipment that provide air safety for the Black Sea region.
A first phase of the expansion, which includes the building of a runway, is expected to be completed in 2027. BLOOMBERG
