Romanian Army to procure US patriot missile by end of year.

According to the Romanian News Agency (AGERPRES) website, the Romanian Army will procure by the end of the year the first Patriot American-made air defense missile system, Romania requesting that the payment be allowed in installments and maintenance be carried out in Romania, National Defense Minister Mihai Fifor stated on Wednesday, October 3, 2017.

U.S. Army Spc. Nyh-Kwquan McCauley, patriot missile operator and maintainer with Battery B, 1st Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, signals to Spc. Jordan Thomas, patriot missile operator and maintainer with Battery B, 1-43 ADA, to prepare a missile interceptor for movement while conducting a march order and emplacement during an operational readiness exercise October 14, 2016. (Source pictures United States MoD)

"What I can tell you and assure you is that by the end of the year, the Romanian Army will procure the first Patriot system. We are waiting for the approval letter of the United States so that we can move on to contracting and we can purchase the first program," the minister affirmed at the "Global SOF Symposium Europe" taking place in Bucharest.

"The purchase of the Patriot system is government to government purchase and maintenance will be carried out in Romania by one of the Romanian companies", added Defense Minister of Romania, Mihai Fifor.

The US State Department approved in July the possible sale of Patriot missile defense systems to Romania, including technical support and equipment, with an estimated price tag of USD 3.9 billion.

The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The Patriot 1 missile has a maximum firing range of 70 km, the PAC-3 missile has the ability to intercept ballistic missile at a maximum range of 35 km.

The PAC-3 is the latest generation of Patriot missile. It defeats advanced tactical ballistic and cruise missiles, and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. As the most technologically advanced missile for the PATRIOT air defense system, PAC-3 significantly increases the PATRIOT system's firepower, as 16 PAC-3s can be loaded in place of only four legacy PATRIOT PAC-2 missiles on the PATRIOT launcher.