The Army awarded RTX [RTX] a $946 million modification on Dec. 23 to provide Patriot air and missile defense systems equipment to Romania.
The Defense Department announced this covers unspecified numbers of Patriot production hardware, software and services. The work will occur at the company’s Andover, Mass., facility and is expected to be finished by December 2029.
$464 million in fiscal year 2025 Foreign Military Sales funds were obligated at the time of the award.
In a statement, RTX noted this is Romania’s third order of Patriot systems, including the fire units made up of radars, control stations and missiles.
“Raytheon is committed to providing Romania with advanced integrated air and missile defense capabilities to protect its citizens and critical infrastructure. Romania’s continued investment in Patriot is a testament to the nation’s dedication to ensuring collective security, deterrence, and stability across Europe,” said Pete Bata, senior vice president of Global Patriot at the Raytheon business unit.
The company also noted Romanian defense companies are part of the global supply chain network of the Patriot.
Romania first agreed to start buying Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defense systems via the U.S. Army in 2017 (Defense Daily, Nov. 29, 2017).
In July, President Biden released a joint statement with European leaders detailing a new air defense package for Ukraine, which includes the U.S., Germany and Romania donating Patriot batteries (Defense Daily, July 10, 2024).
A Romanian Defense Ministry official on Oct. 3 told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that Ukraine by then had taken possession of the Romanian Patriot system.