On January 4, 2024, the Romanian Ministry of Defense announced the acquisition of 200 PAC-2 GEM-T missiles for its Patriot missile system, as part of a multinational purchase organized by NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). This investment of 1.09 billion euros (approximately 1.2 billion dollars) is part of a broader 5.5 billion dollar contract with COMLOG, a joint venture between Raytheon (United States) and MBDA (Germany).
This contract aims to supply Patriot missiles to several European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain. The Romanian Minister of Defense, Angel Tilvar, emphasized that this purchase strengthens Romania’s air defense in the face of tensions in Eastern Europe, notably due to Russian aggression in Ukraine.
NATO also plans to establish a Patriot missile production facility in Germany. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the importance of this investment for transatlantic security and the need to improve air defenses against current threats.
The purchase is part of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), a NATO project to develop a European air and missile defense system through joint acquisitions.