The Romanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) has awarded Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer Baykar a USD 321 M (EUR 290.64 M) contract for the purchase of Bayraktar TB2 armed UAVs, Baykar announced on 25 April 2023.
In August 2022 the Romanian MND announced its intention to procure three TB2 system packages, with each system including six UAVs for a total of 18 TB2s in all. The systems will be operated by the Romanian Land Forces.
Romania has been pursuing a policy of increased defence spending since the beginning of the Ukraine war in February 2022. The country shares a land border not only with Ukraine, but also with Moldova, which is increasingly suffering from Russian destabilisation measures.
Baykar’s Bayraktar TB2 armed UAV was introduced into service with the Turkish armed forces in 2016. With a length of 6.5 m, a wingspan of 12 m and a maximum take-off weight of 650 kg, the TB2 has a payload capacity for sensors and weapons of 150 kg. Its maximum speed is specified as 220 km/h and its endurance as about 27 hours. The communication range of the TB2 ground control station reaches up to 150 km. Coupled with the ability to carry out missions partially or fully autonomously, the TB2 offers a broad mission profile.
The Bayraktar TB2 has become an export hit, particularly in Africa, while as early as 2021 NATO member Poland also opted for the Turkish-made UAV, which was able to prove its capabilities on the Azerbaijani side in the war over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. In Ukraine, also, the TB-2 gained an almost legendary reputation at the beginning of the war in 2022, although, as the conflict progressed and Russian integrated air defence systems and electronic countermeasures became more widespread, the TB2 appeared more vulnerable vulnerable.
Interestingly, an announcement on the European procurement platform TED on 25 April named the Transylvanian city of Timisoara as the “main site or location of works, place of delivery or of performance” in relation to the Romanian TB2 procurement. Up to 2004 the Romanian Air Force operated the 93rd Air Force Base in the city, although it can be assumed that this is not a reactivation of a site, but rather an indication that the UAVs are to be delivered via Timișoara Traian Vuia International Airport.
Kristóf Nagy
