Romania invests 200 million euros in a joint project with Ukraine to produce drones
Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruce announced that the first steps have already been taken together with the Ukrainian delegation for the joint development and production of drones. He wrote about this on Tuesday on his Facebook page.
Miruta emphasized that the Romanian army should use everything that has already proven its effectiveness, and Ukraine has one of the most significant practical experiences in the world of using drones in real combat conditions.
“Therefore, tonight, together with the Ukrainian delegation, we took the first concrete steps to implement a joint project on the development and production of drones between Romania and Ukraine. We are talking not only about procurement, but about the ability to produce here, in Romania, the latest generation technologies, with the transfer of know-how and a constant innovation process”, ‒ the minister emphasized.
According to Miruce, this project is financed with 200 million euros within the framework of the SAFE program and has a clearly defined goal: for Romania to be not just a beneficiary, but an active participant in the formation of its own defense potential.
“We are already working on the formation of a special team, and the deadline for signing the contract is the end of May. In parallel, experts and companies from both countries are conducting practical discussions on technical solutions that can be implemented quickly and effectively”, ‒ the minister noted.
A few days ago Armin Papperger, CEO of German defense concern Rheinmetall, has found himself at the center of a scandal. In an interview with The Atlantic, he said that Ukrainian drones lack innovation and compared their production to playing Lego. When it came to Ukrainian defense companies Fire Point and Skyfall, Papperger called them “housewives with 3D printers.”
After Papperger’s high-profile interview, Rheinmetall said that they respect the efforts of Ukrainians to defend against Russian invasion, especially in conditions of limited resources.
