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DeAntona (Raytheon): Patriot system for Romania according to calendar
The Patriot system to be delivered in Romania at the end of next year has even advanced the calendar say representatives of the American company Raytheon, according to Agerpres.
The radar, which is part of the system to be delivered to Romania is manufactured at Raytheon factory in Andover, 40 km from Boston,and must be first checked by the manufacturing company. One of the tests has in view technical parameters of the radar and another one its resistance to weather conditions. After those tests, the system must get the approval of the US government, representatives of the American company said at a meeting with the press, in Andover.
Once it gets to Romania the system becomes operational and involves specialist training with US army support.
According to Raytheon vicepresident Joseph DeAntona, Romanians will be trained by experts from countries which already have Patriot systems. They will get the same theoretical and practical training as US soldiers and other soldiers in the world working with the Patriot system.
16 Romanian soldiers have been trained so far and 38 are being trained at present. For 2020, 20 soldiers are scheduled for training, according to the Defense Ministry.
Major equipment of Patriot system – radar, launchers, ammunition, command and control equipment- can be seen in VR system, in one of Raytheon offices called The Cave. By means of virtual reality, specialists can offer long distance assistance in case of need.
The American company takes into account the involvement of Romanian industry in system maintenance. At the same time, the representative of the Romanian company says Romania will receive state of the art technology next year.
According to the Defense Ministry, Depot level maintenance and logistic support will be ensured through mixed solutions – Patriot support partnership within NSPA (NATO Support and Procurement Agency), contracts with OEM through Foreign Military Sales program and through the involvement of the national industry.
In relation with Aerostar Bacau contacts were established to carry out the program, but according to the Defense Ministry, there is no formal accord for Depot level maintenance and the supply of logistic element supply for Patriot systems.
“A possible accord can be taken into account when Aerostar obtains a statute similar to that of F16 program and the certification of the national operator by Patriot- Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Oshkosh, Harris manufacturers,” the Romanian ministry shows.
Patriot missiles have a long life span (GEM-T 45 years, MSE- 30 years) and need part replacement and recertification at long intervals (GEM-T 20 years, MSE 10 years).
Patriot System presents a high inter-operational level with Hawk PIP IIIR systems and is used by 5 NATO member states – USA, Germany, Holland, Greece and Spain. Poland and Romania will become NATO members using Patriot system in the years to come.
Patriot Systems will be installed at the National Training Center for Anti Aircraft Defense from Cape Midia. The training position is at regiment 74 Patriot in Giurgiu county.
The major supply program for Patriot missiles provides the purchase of seven such systems – four of them for the Airforce Major Staff and three for Land Force Major Staff.
The total value of the program is about 3.9 billion dollars.
According to the Defense Ministry, the Patriot system delivered to Romania will become operational in 2020 and systems 2,3 and 4 in 2022. A control console will be also delivered in 2022, detecting up to 100 targets on an area of 100 km. According to Raytheon representatives, Romania will be one of the first countries after the US, benefiting from such a console.