Israeli company Elbit Systems is preparing to start delivering Watchkeeper X drones to Romania under a RON 1.89 billion ($428.75 million) contract, the company said on Monday, after Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruta threatened last week to cancel the deal over delays, Reuters reports.
The deal for seven unmanned aircraft systems was signed in 2022, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2025.
"Despite the challenges arising from the exceptional security situation in Israel, which has been recognized as a force majeure event by the company's customers around the world, the project has been given high priority," Elbit Systems said in an emailed response to Reuters' query.
"The systems are ready to undergo final acceptance tests in Romania by the end of April, subject to approval by Romanian regulatory authorities," the company added, noting that the drones are manufactured in Romania.
Romania, a member of the European Union and NATO, shares a 650-km land border with Ukraine and has been hit by airspace violations by drones, with fragments falling on its territory since Russia began attacking Ukrainian ports across the Danube from Romania, Reuters also notes.
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