The senators and deputies gathered on Wednesday in a joint sitting were briefed about President Klaus Iohannis’s decision regarding the deployment to Romania of two radar systems, for the fulfillment of specific missions amid the Russian Federation’s ongoing actions in the vicinity of the North Atlantic Alliance and the intensification of Russian attacks on certain Ukrainian targets, according to Agerpres.

„The Russian Federation continued its actions in the proximity of the North Atlantic Alliance states, intensifying its attacks on certain targets in Ukraine. Under these circumstances, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe – SACEUR ordered the implementation at NATO level of specific measures to respond to the crisis, set priorities for infrastructure and the critical means to be defended, and requested the deployment of allied anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense and surveillance structures for the fulfillment of the missions entailed by NATO’s deterrence and defense posture. Following the examination of NATO’s requests, of the security situation in the region, in accordance with the provisions of Article 119 of the Romanian Constitution and with the provisions of Article 4 Para. 1 of Law No. 291/2007 on the entry, stationing, carrying out of operations or transit of foreign military forces on the territory of Romania, republished with subsequent amendments and additions, at the proposal of the Prime Minister of Romania and after consulting the Supreme Council for National Defense, I hereby inform the Romanian Parliament that I have approved the deployment to Romania of the two radars for the accomplishment of specific missions,” the information sent to Parliament states.

According to the cited document, Spain offered a TPS-43 radar system to be deployed and integrated with NATO’s Integrated Air Defense System – NATINADS installed in Romania, and the US Marine Corps intends to deploy a TPS-80 radar to Romania, near the border with Ukraine. The Spanish and the American partners carried out reconnaissance activities to determine the optimal locations in agreement with the Romanian military authorities. These radars will serve for detecting, tracking and identifying air targets evolving in eastern Ukraine and in the central-western Black Sea basin and will improve the integrated anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense capabilities on NATO’s eastern flank and implicitly in Romania, by increasing the detection range of aerial targets evolving at low, medium and high altitudes.

The National Defense Ministry shall make available the necessary facilities for the deployment of these aerial surveillance means and shall approve the deployment locations of the capabilities and the number of troops needed to operate the equipment, depending on the operational requirements. The necessary funds for the entry, stationing and operation in Romania of the Allied air surveillance elements shall be provided from the budget of the Ministry of National Defense, the cited source states.

Agerpres