Romania to send Patriot missile system to aid Ukraine
In light of the growing security crisis in Ukraine, Romania has decided to provide Ukraine with a Patriot missile system. This information was conveyed on Thursday by Romania's Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT). "This is an unprecedented event," experts comment.
"The significant deterioration of the security situation in Ukraine, caused by Russia's continuous and massive attacks on the civilian population, prompted the council members to decide on providing the Patriot system to Ukraine," read the statement issued by the CSAT.
The council emphasized that implementing this decision depends on the results of negotiations between Bucharest and Washington. Romania must obtain permission from the USA to deliver a similar or equivalent system that would secure its airspace.
Additional Patriot for Ukraine
"This is an unprecedented event in light of Bucharest's previous policy of not publicizing its military support for Kyiv," said OSW analyst Kamil Całus, quoted by PAP. As he pointed out, the Romanian authorities did not publicly announce what and how much was being provided to Ukraine, although it was known that such support was being given. A certain change in this policy was the decision to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 aircraft at a base on Romanian territory in cooperation with NATO allies.
A sought-after asset by many countries
Patriot is an advanced American anti-aircraft missile defence system that is highly sought after by many countries. Its primary function is to detect incoming threats in the form of missiles, projectiles, aircraft, or even loitering munitions. Upon detecting such threats, the Patriot system intercepts and destroys them in the air before they reach their target.
The capabilities of the Patriot system depend on, among other things, the radar version, the type of target being countered, and the munitions used. It is assumed that it can counter hostile objects up to even 160 kilometres away and move at an altitude of 24 kilometres. In the case of MIM-104A variants, the speed of the launched missiles reaches approximately 3 Mach, but for PAC-2 and PAC-3 variants, it can reach up to 5 Mach.
"There is no doubt that Washington has at least preliminarily promised something to Romania. This could be an increased military presence along with USA-owned air defence systems or financial support for equipment purchases under the so-called Foreign Military Financing (FMF) instrument. We will learn about the details over time. It is also probable that President Klaus Iohannis, who is ending his second term and has just finally dropped out of the race for NATO Secretary-General, also received offers during negotiations for a position within international structures," added Kamil Całus.
