DefMin Les: Romania will have maintenance centres for Patriot missile systems

Romania will create maintenance centres for the Patriot surface-to-air missile systems, National Defence Minister Gabriel Les announced on Thursday, according to Agerpres.

According to him, the creation of the maintenance centres is part of the contract Romania concluded with the US partners, which also provides industrial cooperation regarding the missile system.

"We'll have an industrial cooperation, including regarding Patriot. On the life cycle of the military product, and here I am referring, for instance, to Patriot, it means almost 30 years or over 30 years, with the upgrading over time on the software part, and maintenance can cost as much as the acquisition price. The transfer of such a maintenance centre, which means technology transfer, know-how transfer, staff training and so on, will be included in this programme," Les told B1 TV private television broadcaster.

Romania approved the purchase, starting 2017, of seven Patriot surface-to-air missile systems - among which four systems devoted to the endowment of the Air Forces General Staff, and three systems for the endowment of the Land Forces General Staff - and the corresponding equipment, with a total value worth round 3.9 billion USD, VAT excluded.