Radio România Internațional

Tag: capabilities

  • Troops deployment for Steadfast Dart 25

    Troops deployment for Steadfast Dart 25

    Little time is left until the opening of the biggest drill staged by NATO this year. Held in Greece, Bulgaria and Romania over February 10th and 21st, «Steadfast Dart 25» brings together 10 thousand servicemen from 9 allied countries able to participate in all kind of ground, air, sea and special operations. Through this complex troops deployment, the drill emphasizes the multi-domain capabilities of NATO and its unflinching commitment to collective defence. Spain, which is heading the Joint Special Operations Command, will deploy 3 thousand troops, as well as gear and transport planes. Special operations cannot be done by conventional troops as they involve special procedures for any situation, in order to reach strategic, operational or tactic objectives and to achieve military objectives.

    According to the Spanish Defence Ministry, several transport alternatives have been used for the deployment of troops and equipment, combining air, sea, rail and road transportation. So, the ship carrying the most part of the troops set sail in Almeria and landed the contingent in the Greek port of Alexandroupolis. The equipment and vehicles were carried by trains towards rail terminals in Dumbrăveni and Voila (Romania), and from there their deployment to Cincu, in central Romania, was made by road. Five air missions were scheduled for the transport of 261 tactic vehicles and 58 containers. This has been a complex, large-scale deployment mainly involving ground units and special operation units due to the large number of personnel, the equipment and vehicles involved.

    Several days ahead of the aforementioned operation, the Spanish servicemen part of the NATO battle Group deployed in Cincu had completed the Eagle Thunder exercise which focused on the implementation of the firing capabilities of the Spanish detachment with both daytime and nighttime activities. Initiatives such as «Eagle Thunder» are proving the detachment’s readiness and determination to contribute to the security and stability of the allies in the region, reiterating the allies’ commitment to the defence and deterrence policy of NATO’s eastern flank.

    The last F-16 Fighting Falcon, Romania purchased from Norway, has touched down at the 71 Air Base “General Emanoil Ionescu” in Câmpia Turzii (central Romania) to complete the 48 Fighting Squadron, which boasts 16 aircraft. The purchase of the F-16s and the related packages of goods and services, is aimed at increasing Romania’s security through the defence of the national/NATO airspace in time of peace and crisis situations through the Permanent Air Policing under NATO command.

    The Romanian Defence Minister, Angel Tîlvăr, has received the Italian ambassador to Romania, Alfredo Durante Mangoni. One of the issues on the agenda was the importance of carrying on the joint drills aimed at contributing to raising interoperability at the allied level. Italy’s contribution with troops and equipment to NATO drills «Steadfast Dart 25» and «Sea Shield 25» has been hailed. The Romanian official has conveyed thanks to Italy for the support it offered to the countries in NATO’s Eastern Flank, mainly for its participation in the strengthened air-policing missions in Romania, including this year as well as for its contribution to the allied structures on the Romanian territory.

    (bill)

     

  • March 30, 2022 UPDATE

    March 30, 2022 UPDATE


    PARLIAMENT The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will address the Parliament of Romania, the Senate speaker Florin Cîțu announced on Wednesday. “As speaker of the Senate, I will make the arrangements for this to happen next week. Ukraine has all my support,” Florin Cîțu added. Also next week, the Ukrainian head of state is scheduled to address the parliaments of Ireland and Greece. Since the start of Russias invasion in Ukraine on February 24, Volodymyr Zelensky has talked by video link to the parliaments of several countries, including the UK, Canada, the US, Germany, Italy, Australia, Israel, Poland, and the European Parliament. He also gave an address in last weeks special NATO summit, also attended by the US president Joe Biden.



    UKRAINE Russian forces have used cluster munitions, prohibited under international law, at least 24 times in populated areas of Ukraine in the 5 weeks since the start of the war, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet announced on Wednesday, according to EFE news agency. “Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,” she also said, referring to the shelling of homes and administrative buildings, hospitals and schools, water stations and electricity systems. Meanwhile, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky said there are positive signals regarding Tuesdays Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Turkey, but that Ukraine does not intend to relax its military efforts. He emphasised there can be no compromise with respect to his countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russias defence ministry said on Wednesday that Russian forces were regrouping near the capital Kyiv and Chernihiv in the north, to focus on other key regions and finalise what it called the freeing of Donbas. However, Reuters and the local authorities in Chernihiv confirmed that Russian attacks continued in both regions on Wednesday. On his first visit to China since his country invaded Ukraine, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov Wednesday announced plans for a new “just and democratic” world order, in a partnership with China.



    GOVERNMENT The government of Romania Wednesday approved the National Strategy on Curbing Poverty, aimed at a 7% reduction of poverty in the country by 2027. The legislative framework is necessary in order for relevant EU funding to be accessed. Funds are also earmarked for the set-up of 100 care centres to send food to the elderly at their homes. The government also decided on a maximum 20% increase in school enrollment capacities, so as to receive child refugees from Ukraine. In related news, the education minister announced that the current school terms will be replaced by 5 education modules alternating with 5 holidays. The next school year is set to begin 2 weeks early, on September 5, and to end on June 16.



    AID Funds raised under a humanitarian campaign for the Ukrainian refugees who arrive in Romania, launched by the Romanian embassy in the USA jointly with the Romanian United Fund, have reached the intended 200,000 US dollars, the Romanian embassy has announced. According to Ambassador Andrei Muraru, this successful campaign is an example of solidarity at a difficult time for the Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war. The funds will be used for buying food, clothes, medicines and hygiene items for the refugees, as well as for providing accommodation, equipment and psychological support. According to UN sources, over 10 million Ukrainians, including more than half of the countrys children, have left their homes since the beginning of the war in their country. Out of the total number, 6.5 million have been relocated inside the country whereas 3.9 million have left it. Out of these, roughly 580,000 have crossed the border into Romania.



    NATO Romania will be taking action to strengthen its defence capabilities, including by allotting 2.5% of its GDP to defence instead of a previous 2.2%, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in a message conveyed on the 18th anniversary of Romanias application for joining NATO. According to Iohannis, Romania will continue to promote the partnership between NATO and the EU, remaining a staunch ally, a security provider in the Black Sea area, dedicated to the fundamental values of the North Atlantic Alliance.



    COVID-19 Over 3,500 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Romania on Wednesday, along with 36 fatalities, 22 of which from an earlier date. Little over 2,500 patients are currently hospitalised, 395 of them in intensive care. The health minister Alexandru Rafila says COVID-19 hospitals will gradually resume their regular operations by the end of September. Meanwhile, the vaccine roll-out continues in family physician practices. So far over 8 million people have been fully vaccinated and 17 million doses of vaccine have been administered.


  • NATO strengthens response system in the East

    NATO strengthens response system in the East

    The main components of the first High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to be part of the Romanian Army equipment arrived late last week at the Black Sea port of Constanţa.



    Two years ago, Bucharest purchased from the US company Lockheed Martin, for some 1.5 billion US dollars, 3 HIMARS long-range artillery systems. The first one is scheduled to become operational this year.



    Each system has 18 launch units. Romanias order refers to 3 separate types of guided missiles, able to hit ground targets up to 300 km away. The systems include the ammunition, the command and control elements, sensors, logistical support, maintenance, encryption equipment and training programmes for personnel at all levels.



    A major component of the artillery system, the multiple rocket launchers will operate independently or jointly with other systems in order to fulfil missions. They may be made available to NATO, as part of Romanias commitments within the Alliance and of regional initiatives.



    The equipment will be tested in the forthcoming period by the 81st “Maior Gheorghe Șonțu Tactical Missile Battalion in Focșani, the first unit of the Romanian Ground Forces to be using this kind of equipment. The National Defence Ministry said the Ground Forces must be equipped with high-performance support means, providing enhanced capabilities tailored both for classical and unconventional warfare, given the diversity of situations in which the Romanian Army must contribute troops, both on national territory and abroad.



    The Ministry also pointed out that the long-range rocket launch system is able to provide support both during participation in military operations, and during the training process.



    Last week Parliament was updated by president Klaus Iohannis on the National Defence Ministry and Interior Ministry forces available to take part this year in missions abroad, and on the deployment to Romania, if necessary, of NATOs very high readiness forces.



    This year the Romanian Army will take part in NATO, EU, UN, OSCE missions and operations outside Romania, and in the anti-ISIL/DAESH international coalition, as previously undertaken. (tr. A.M. Popescu)