US corporation Lockheed Martin announced on Tuesday that it has signed with the Romanian Ministry of Defense a contract for the co-production of 17 TPS-79(R) Multi-Mission Surveillance Radar systems to be used for Romania's Phase II "Gap Filler" program. Lockheed Martin will build the radar components and subassemblies for the 17 systems at its facility in Syracuse, NY, while Romanian company UTI Systems will provide additional components and join radar integration and testing works in both Syracuse and Romania.
A Lockheed Martin press release quotes Major General Ioan Eftimie Sandu of the Department for Armaments in the Romanian MoD, according to whom “not only is this program necessary for the Ministry of Defense in helping us fulfill our mission, it’s equally important for the Romanian economy because it helps local industry participate in high-tech equipment production and markets.”
MoD spokeswoman Andreea Dumitru told HotNews.ro on Tuesday that the value of the contract amounts to 121,8 million USD and the acquisition was done through negotiations without a prior announcement of participation, because the US group had provided the prototype of the radar systems in the first phase of the project.
The Lockheed Martin press release also quotes Carl Bannar, vice-president of Lockheed Martin's Radar System business, who says “these radar systems will provide critical air surveillance coverage for Romania and contribute to the security of NATO allies in the region.“
The press release also mentions that "Lockheed Martin provided two prototype systems to the Romanian Ministry of Defense (MoD) under a Phase I contract awarded in 2002. Romania is using the medium-range systems, together with five existing Lockheed Martin AN/FPS-117 long-range air surveillance radars, to monitor airspace around the country. [...] The medium-range
