RSS
Defense minister: We might extend operational period for MIG planes
Defense minister Corneliu Dobritoiu says in case Romania does not have money to purchase a multirole plane it could extend the period of use for MIG planes it already has. He declared at a press conference on Thursday that it was “the last variant, the last option, the last resistance”, Agerpres writes.
“If we do not find solutions to buy a multirole plane then we will have to extend the operation period for the MIG fleet until 2018,” the defense minister said. According to him the planes are already outdated.
“This deadline is forced for planes which were designed to operate for 25 years and we extended its life to 40 years. The only solution is to intelligently use the resources we have in order to identify incomes to satisfy our equipping needs,” Dobritoiu mentioned.
Romanian army will sell excess patrimony
The defense minister declared on Thursday that the Romanian army intended to sell its excess patrimony in order to make money for equipping. A reputed international firm will probably be used for the sale.
“The Romanian army can hardly stand at the equipping chapter. The budget is unbalanced because of the man who runs for mayor in Cluj on behalf of PDL. As long as personnel expenses represent 85% of budget, the equipping budget is very small. That does not mean we are not trying to find solutions and solve the matter. We are now analyzing at government level the excess patrimony of the army in order to find solutions an generate resources for the equipping budget. That does not mean the army will turn into a real estate agency,” Dobritoiu mentioned. According to him other NATO member states have done the same.
“It would not be a first at NATO level. The Poles have used excess infrastructure to buy a multirole fleet, the British have sold their quarters and are now paying rent for 50 years, in order to find resources to finance their strategic programs,” the minister added.