Romania has begun testing the US-supplied Merops anti-drone system as part of wider NATO efforts to strengthen air defenses on the alliance’s eastern flank, defense minister Ionuț Moșteanu told local news channel Digi24. The system, already used in Ukraine, has been undergoing trials in Romania for about two weeks and will be integrated into NATO’s operational plans once testing is complete.
“It has been in Romania for a while now, for about two weeks; we are testing it, and it will be integrated into operational systems and operational plans,” minister Moșteanu said.
“I also announced this last week, on Wednesday, when there was talk about the US troop withdrawal, that we have this system. This shows that our relationship with the Americans is working and is in very good shape. They are the ones who gave us this very good system, successfully tested in Ukraine. We will continue working with them to connect it, so to speak, to our other systems and include it in operational plans,” he added.
Ionuț Moșteanu also said the current trials in Romania and Poland focus on linking Merops with NATO command-and-control structures, a step not required in Ukraine, where the system has been deployed independently.
The Associated Press reported that Poland, Romania, and soon Denmark will deploy the Merops system following a series of drone incursions that exposed gaps in Europe’s air defenses. Compact enough to be transported in the back of a midsize pickup truck, it can identify and pursue drones using artificial intelligence even when satellite or electronic communications are disrupted.
NATO officials told AP that bolstering such defenses aims to deter any potential threats from Russia along the alliance’s vast border, from Norway to Turkey.
“What this system does is give us very accurate detection,” said Col. Mark McLellan, assistant chief of staff operations at NATO Allied Land Command, as quoted by Apnews.com. “It’s able to target the drones and take them down and at a low cost as well. … It’s a lot cheaper than flying an F-35 into the air to take them down with a missile.”
Airspace violations have intensified the urgency for improved protection. Around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace in September, prompting the deployment of fighter jets to intercept devices worth a fraction of the aircraft costs. Romania also reported drone incursions several times, while airports in several European cities, including Copenhagen, Munich, Berlin, or Brussels, were temporarily shut down due to drone activity.
Minister Moșteanu confirmed that Romania currently has one Merops unit and is in discussions for multiple systems.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Miruna Turbatu)
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