The Ministry of National Defence welcomes the signing by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) of the joint purchase contract of up to 1,000 Patriot Advanced Capability-2 Guidance Enhanced Missile (PAC-2 GEM-T) missiles for the PATRIOT surface-to-air missile systems that will equip Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain. In this respect, NSPA awarded a contract to COMLOG Company / Germany for the manufacture of missiles in Europe, which will be homologated by an FMS (Foreign Military Sales) type LOA (Letter of Offer and Acceptance) Agreement by the Government of the United States of America. Within this consolidated multinational purchase, which uses the principles of the European Sky Shield Initiative/ ESSI, Romania will procure a number of 200 PAC-2 GEM-T missiles. The Ministry of National Defence requested and obtained the Romanian Parliament’s approval to participate in this joint procurement program, the estimated total cost for the entire package of 200 missiles designated to complete the combat stocks of our armed force being 1.09 billion EUR, without VAT, which includes spare parts, related services and FMS costs.
“This acquisition demonstrates that the Alliance has adequate and adapted solutions to the security situation we are currently facing in Eastern Europe once with the outbreak of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. I consider this project to be a success, a model of cooperation among allies, and an example of development of defence manufacturing capacities that deserves to be replicated at European level. The ongoing or the newly-developed procurement programs will contribute to the development and maintenance by the Romanian Armed Force of robust, resilient, credible, interoperable, flexible and efficient defence capabilities. Romania consistently fulfills its commitments as a result of its NATO and EU member status and contributes to the implementation of effective measures taken to deter any aggression against the Euro-Atlantic space and to articulate an adequate response to the current and future challenges of the security environment”, the Minister of National Defence, Angel Tîlv?r said.
The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary such system used by the United States Army and several allied states. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target,” which is a backronym for “Patriot”. The MIM-104C PAC-2 missile was the first Patriot missile that was optimized for ballistic missile engagements. The GEM series of missiles (MIM-104D/E) are further refinements of the PAC-2 missile. The PAC-2 family of missiles all have a fairly standard design, the only differences between the variants being certain internal components. They consist of (from front to rear) the radome, guidance section, warhead section, propulsion section, and control actuator section. The PAC-2 missile is 5.8 metres (19 ft 0 in) long, weighs about 900 kilograms (2,000 lb), and is propelled by a solid-fueled rocket motor.
The Guidance Enhanced Missile, or GEM-T, is one of the Patriot™ missile variants available to both U.S. forces and international customers. The GEM-T missile provides improved ability to defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or enemy aircraft in complement to the PAC-3 missile. A modernized, digital fuze eliminates obsolescence and introduces significant performance improvements against tactical ballistic missile targets. This design increases sensitivity for improved performance against high-speed tactical ballistic missile targets. The low-noise front end of the GEM-T has increased seeker sensitivity for better acquisition and tracking. The new low-noise oscillator has a modified down-link, which provides a higher signal-to-interference ratio, improving acquisition and tracking of small airborne threats and cruise missiles in clutter.
