The act includes the procurement of Scorpene-class submarines, Sandown-class MCM ships, and equipping warships with Naval Strike Missiles, which will enhance the capabilities of the Romanian Navy. Romania would become the third (current) operator of submarines in the Black Sea after Russia and Turkey.
Romanian media Main News claims that the defense committees of the Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved the start of negotiations by the Ministry of Defense for the purchase of two Scorpene submarines and 54 Abrams tanks.
Members of parliament reportedly also gave the green light to three other equipment programs involving the purchase of some 525 million euros worth of military equipment, likely including mine countermeasures (MCM) vessels and missile carrier modernization programs.
The first act, estimated at 150 million euros, involves the purchase of two in-service Sandown-class naval platforms, which will be upgraded at a British shipyard, as well as autonomous survey systems and destruction payloads related to the onboard mine countermeasures system and support logistics.
The other project involves the conclusion of a government agreement for the installation of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system (two launchers with four missiles per ship), the purchase of 48 NSM missiles, the installation of the combat management system (CMS) and the installation of a 3D surveillance radar system with integrated IFF MOD 5. The estimated value is estimated around 375 million euros.
In a June 2022 interview, Romania’s defense minister told local media that Romania has a procurement plan that includes French Scorpene submarines and French helicopters. The minister added that a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the French defense minister in this regard.
“We have signed a letter of intent with the French Minister of Defense for a future project for which we have already started the steps to take it to the Parliament. This is a project related to Scorpene submarines and helicopters. It’s a letter of intent I made with the French government. We are considering this program in the future, which we are trying to substantiate “
Romanian Defense Minister Vasile Dîncu, in an interview for DefenseRomania
The minister also stated in the same interview that the letter of intent marks the desire of the two countries to cooperate in the naval field. In the current strategic context, Romania wishes to develop its naval capabilities by relying on French industrial know-how and the operational credibility of its Navy.
Contacted by Naval News, a Naval Group spokesperson declined to comment.
Author’s comment
There is no question that the procurement, if it materializes, will improve the Romanian Navy’s warfighting capabilities.
The Scorpene is a proven design and is currently operated by several countries. Currently, the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Turkish Navy operate submarines in the Black Sea. The Romanian Navy will be the third naval force (and the second country in NATO) after the Scorpene submarines enter service.
While it is not clear which warships will be equipped with Naval Strike Missiles, two Romanian Navy frigates, Regele Ferdinand and Regina Maria, which do not have surface-to-surface missiles, will be the most suitable platforms for the NSMs. Indeed, if the NSMs are deployed on the Black Sea coast, they will form an effective A2/ AD area in terms of NATO.
The drifting sea mines caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war off the Romanian coast may pose a major problem for commercial shipping routes in the region. The Romanian Navy has neutralized several sea mines with EODs in the last two years. Still, the Romanian Navy has no minehunters in its inventory, and the Sandown-class MCM ships will fill an important gap for the country.