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The 'drone hunter' cheetah. Top weapons, much cheaper than Patriot, that can close Romanian airspace
🇷🇴 Romania /Conflict & Security

The 'drone hunter' cheetah. Top weapons, much cheaper than Patriot, that can close Romanian airspace

From Adevărul · (11m ago) Romanian Critical tone

Translated from Romanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Romania's air force scrambled fighter jets after two drones crashed in Galați and Tulcea, but could not engage them as they were over Ukrainian territory.
  • The incidents have sparked debate about the effectiveness and cost of traditional air defense systems like Patriot missiles against cheaper, more numerous drones.
  • Experts suggest Romania and other European NATO members lag behind countries like Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey in drone technology and countermeasures.

The recent incidents involving drones crashing in Galați and Tulcea have ignited a critical discussion within Romania about our air defense capabilities. While our brave pilots scrambled Eurofighter Typhoons from Borcea airbase, the drones were ultimately not engaged because they remained over Ukrainian territory. This highlights a complex reality: international borders and rules of engagement can prevent timely action, even when threats are imminent.

Piloții au avut autorizare să angajeze ținta, însă aceasta s-a aflat în permanență deasupra teritoriului ucrainean, astfel că nu s-a putut trage asupra ei.

— Ministerul Apărării (MApN)The Romanian Ministry of Defense explains why the fighter jets did not engage the drones.

This situation forces us to confront a stark truth: while systems like the Patriot are formidable, their cost per engagement is astronomical, making them unsustainable against the swarm tactics employed by Russia and Ukraine. The article rightly points out that Romania, like much of Europe, has fallen behind in the drone arms race. Countries like Turkey, with its Bayraktar drones, and even Russia and Ukraine, forced by necessity into rapid innovation, are far ahead.

În condițiile în care o oră de zbor pentru un avion F-16 costă cel puțin 30.000 de euro, iar eficiența împotriva dronelor nu este de 100%, apare și discuția ce alte variante ar mai exista.

— General (r) Dan GrecuA retired general discusses the high cost and questionable effectiveness of fighter jets against drones, prompting a search for alternatives.

From a Romanian perspective, this isn't just about military hardware; it's about national security and technological sovereignty. We must ask ourselves if we are adequately prepared for the evolving nature of conflict. The debate here in Romania isn't just about reacting to incidents; it's about proactively investing in and developing our own drone technology and counter-drone capabilities. Relying solely on expensive, Western-made systems may leave us vulnerable in a conflict where the enemy utilizes cheaper, more adaptable technology. The focus needs to shift towards cost-effective, agile solutions that can effectively secure our airspace.

România, la fel ca și statele NATO europene, a rămas în urmă față de țări ca Ucraina, Rusia și chiar Turcia.

— General (r) Dan GrecuThe general highlights Romania's and Europe's lag in drone technology compared to other nations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Adevărul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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