DefMin Fifor: Today we start the procedure for acquiring coastal artillery systems

Defence Minister Mihai Fifor said on Monday that he will begin the procedure for acquiring coastal artillery systems.

"Today we hope to start the procedure for the acquisition of mobile rocket launchers for the country's coastal artillery, a milestone in the Romanian Armed Forces' military acquisitions, a programme that adds up to the others to make sure Romania has a deterrent and defensive capacity in this part of [NATO's] eastern flank. Today, after all the steps preceding the launch of this procedure, we publish the announcement. Two weeks ago I approved a government decision on this and now we are ready to launch this procedure," said Fifor, who attended at the opening of the academic year at the Military Technical Academy.

He said that he wants the Romanian Armed Forces to have the best equipment, some of which will be made by the national defence industry, know-how transfer and industrial co-operation.

"There was talk in the US about the F16 programme that we want to continue to buy. First of all, there are the five aircraft we are going to buy again from Portugal, as we did with the other 12. It's true that I asked for support from the US secretary of defence, because whether they are bought from Portugal or from another allied country the procedure is the same and the US government is required to agree for this procedure to take place," Fifor said when asked by journalists about his recent visit to the US.

Fifor also pointed out that US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis gave all assurances that there would be support for this programme.

"On the other hand, we still discussed the 36 aircraft we intend to buy so that we can meet the need for army acquisitions. The Air Force Staff has assured that on February Romania can go on air policing using F16 fighters. Then the whole procedure is finished, all the training required to operate these aircraft with maximum safety and efficiency," Fifor said.

He also said that he is pleased every year to return to the Military Technical Academy, where the future specialists for the technical equipment to be acquired by the Romanian Armed Forces under major supply programmes are being trained.

"I can only rejoice and wish all those who start a new academic year, whether they are here at the Military Technical Academy, whether they start the university year at other higher education establishments of the Ministry of National Defence, success, a fruitful year, and hope that they will only have meritorious results, as we have come to expect of them," added Fifor. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Alexandru Florea, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)