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Minister Mihai Fifor: Today we made payment for first Patriot missile system
Defence minister Mihai Fifor, said on Thursday, in Parliament that “today we made payment for the first Patriot missile system”.
“These systems are among the few testes in combat, which is very important for the military”, said Mihai Fifor, at the hearing for the presentation of Defence Ministry budget.
The offer and agreement letter for the purchase of Patriot missile systems was signed on November 29. “On Wednesday, November 29, there was a ceremony for signing the Letter of Offer and Acceptance at National Defence Ministry headquarters, for the purchase of long range surface-to air missile systems, in the presence of minister Mihai Fifor and US ambassador to Romania, Hans Klemm,” a press release issued by the Defence Ministry shows.
Patriot Systems will equip the Land and Air Forces of the Romanian Army in the second half of 2019, and the first system will become operational by mid 2020.
The law by which the Army will purchase seven surface-to air Patriot missile systems was promoted on November 27 by president Klaus Iohannis.
In November, the Chamber of Deputies adopted, with 279 voted for and one vote against, the bill by which the Army would purchase seven Patriot missiles with the necessary equipment.
Members of Tudose government approved, in the November 8 meeting, the bill by which the Army would purchase the seven missiles, for 3.9 billion dollars.
The first system will be purchased by the end of the on going year, with 764,780,000 dollars.