US Ambassador Zuckerman: Romania is the first NATO ally to install its own HIMARS defence system

The US Ambassador in Bucharest, Adrian Zuckerman, on Thursday voiced his appreciation, at the Air Base 57 in Mihail Kogalniceanu, for Romania's determination to strengthen its defence capacity by acquiring modern equipment to fulfill its obligations to allies and to ensure national sovereignty and security on NATO's Eastern Flank.

In just a few months, Romania will receive its own HIMARS missile defence systems and will become the first NATO allied state to deploy this equipment on its territory, which equipment was tested in theatres of operations and guaranteed by the successes in their actions. Thus, by incorporating the HIMARS system in its defence strategy, Romania will strengthen its position as guarantor of Europe's security, on the eastern border and in the Black Sea basin, said the US Ambassador.

Adrian Zuckerman also mentioned that the new acquisition of HIMARS anti-aircraft defence systems completes the endowment and modernization programmes of the Romanian Army, while also contributing to the relaunch of the national defence industry.

More than 130 Romanian and American soldiers with 30 technical means participate, on Thursday, in the Romanian-American Rapid Falcon exercise, organized by the General Staff of the Land Forces and the US Land Forces in Europe, at the 57th Air Base in Mihail Kogalniceanu and the Capul Midia Range.

According to the Ministry of National Defence, the US partners participate in the artillery firing exercise with two mobile missile systems HIMARS, from the 41st Ground Artillery Brigade, deployed in the Grafenwoehr garrison in Germany, and the Romanian Land Forces, with three multiple LAROM missile launchers, from the Brigade 8 LAROM "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" from Focsani.

The activity aims to develop and strengthen military cooperation between the Romanian and United States Land Forces, and is also an opportunity to develop the partnership between the two large artillery units in view of equipping the structures of the 8th Brigade LAROM "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" with HIMARS equipment, starting with the year 2021.