DefMin Tilvar: Ukraine's dramatic experience shows us that defence starts at home
Defence Minister Angel Tilvar said on Thursday, July 20, Romanian Aviation and Air Force Day, that the dramatic experience of Ukraine shows that defence starts at home, that is why the Romanian armed forces are carrying out "the most ambitious modernisation program in their history."
In his message, Tilvar pays tribute to the Romanian hero aviators killed in action, in combat or training missions.
"In 2023, we honour the Romanian Air Force and all those who operated or carried out their activity in this branch of the Romanian armed forces, on the 110th anniversary of military aeronautics. Romania was among the first in the world to understand the potential of aviation, and Romanians such as Traian Vuia, Aurel Vlaicu and Henri Coanda were among the pioneers of world aeronautics making important contributions to writing the first pages of the fascinating history of human flight. (...) We owe gratitude and deep respect to all generations of soldiers who, in the last 110 years, have served their country as aviators and aeronautical personnel, but also as anti-aircraft and radar defenders, fighting to keep Romania's skies safe," says Tilvar.
He adds that amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Romanian armed forces are carrying out their most ambitious modernisation programme in their history.
"Romania is part of the strongest political and military alliance in the world, and this status offers us the most important security guarantees in our entire history. But the dramatic experience of Ukraine also shows us that defence starts at home. The Romanian armed foreces are carrying out the most ambitious modernisation programme in their history. The investments started from a predictable level of financing, set at 2% of GDP from 2017, start to produce visible effects. From this year, this level has increased to 2.5% of GDP, which allows speeding up essential programmes to increase the action capacity of the Romanian armed forces,' the minister says.
Also, he adds, the Romanian Air Force is going through one of the most magnificent periods in their history.
The acquisition programmes carried out in recent years ensured the provision of modern technology for all its operational components - military aviation, ground-based air defence and radiolocation, adds Tilvar.
Thus, after the operationalisation of the first F-16 squadron, decisive steps were taken to secure the next two squadrons.
The 32 F-16 aircraft purchased from the government of Norway will begin arriving towards the end of this year and in the following years. (...) The available resource of the aircraft taken over from the Norwegian Air Force ensures the operation for a transition period of at least 10 years, towards the 5th generation F-35 type aircraft, says Tilvar.
The minister goes on to say that also in 2023, the first stage of equipping the Romanian Air Force with Patriot surface-to-air missile systems was completed. The four systems that have already entered the equipment of the 74th Patriot Regiment bring to Romania an important addition to the security of the airspace in this region that is so tested from the point of view of security.
In the field of radiolocation, the Romanian Air Force has completed the first stage of equipping with state-of-the-art digital radars, providing prompt and accurate data and information to the national airspace surveillance system, as well as the NATO integrated system.
Also, the deployment in Romania of the Italian Eurofighter aircraft, of the Spanish F-18s, which recently completed their Enhanced Vigilance Activity missions under NATO command, the deployment of the French Mamba air defence system, the radar of the Spanish forces, as well as the presence of a Romanian Air Force detachment in Lithuania are concrete examples that solidarity and mutual aid are not empty concepts in NATO, but it represents the very creed of the North Atlantic Alliance: "All for one, one for all!" says Tilvar.
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