Raytheon awarded U.S. Army contract to supply Patriot equipment to Romania.

Raytheon was awarded a $383,973,802 modification to Foreign Military Sales (Romania) contract for new production hardware, upgrade kits and spares, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2023. Fiscal 2019 other funds in the amount of $383,973,802 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Julio Vitela (left), with the 5th Battalion 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, briefs members of the Romanian Air Force on Patriot missile launcher capabilities during a “Patriot Shock” exercise in Capu Midia, Romania on November 7, 2016 (Picture source: US DoD)

The U.S. Department of Defense announced on May 25, 2018, the contract calls for Raytheon to build Romania's first brand-new Patriot air defense missile fire unit Configuration 3+. In July 2017, the U.S. State Department had made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Romania for Patriot air defense systems, related support and equipment. The estimated cost is $3.9 billion. The Government of Romania had requested the possible sale of seven (7) Patriot Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Units consisting of seven (7) AN/MPQ-65 radar sets, seven (7) AN/MSQ-132 engagement control stations, thirteen (13) antenna mast groups, twenty-eight (28) M903 launching stations, fifty-six (56) Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-TBM (GEM-T) missiles, one hundred and sixty-eight (168) Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles, and seven (7) Electrical Power Plants (EPP) III. Also included with this request were communications equipment, tools and test equipment, support equipment, prime movers, generators, publications and technical documentation, training equipment, spare and repair parts, personnel training, TAFT team, U.S. Government and contractor technical, engineering, and logistics support services, Systems Integration and Checkout (SICO), field office support, and other related elements of logistics and program support.

The Romanian government consequently signed an agreement with the U.S. Army and transferred funding to the US government for the purchase of three additional Patriot air defense missile defense systems from the U.S. Army. As was the case with the first system, which came under contract in May, the additional units were procured via the U.S. Department of Defense's foreign military sales process. The Patriot air defense missile system is the backbone of NATO's defense against lower tier ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, advanced aircraft and drones. "Romania is purchasing the most advanced, capable, cutting edge tactical ballistic missile defense system in the world," said Mike Ellison, Raytheon's country manager for Romania.

All of Romania's Patriot fire units will be newly built. And although it shares the same name and external appearance as the Patriot system that defended NATO during the Cold War, the system has been completely modernized. "Romania's Patriot fire units will have the same hardware and software suite as the U.S. Army's Patriot fire units," said Michelle DeMaio, Raytheon's Romania Patriot program manager. "This will enhance Romania's ability to train with the U.S. Army and other NATO allies."

Romania's procurement of Patriot is an important element of the country's commitment to NATO to spend at least 2% of its Gross Domestic Product on defense. This most recent agreement marks the fulfillment of the Romanian Air Force's plan to purchase four fire units. It also keeps the Romanian armed forces on track to acquire the seven systems Romanian senior leaders have stated they intend to obtain. The agreement between Romania and the U.S. Army sets the stage for the U.S. government to begin contract negotiations with Raytheon.