Romanian Defense Ministry submits draft law on Patriot system transfer to Ukraine

Radio Liberty’s Romanian service reported on August 30.

According to the document sent by the ministry to parliament, “Finalizing the law on this transfer will emphasize Romania’s role as a regional security provider and strengthen our partnerships with the United States.”

The draft law proposes sending one of the seven Patriot systems purchased from the United States to Ukraine. The Patriot 3+ is the most advanced version and is used by the U.S. and about 20 other allies.

Romania has received four Patriots so far, two are already in use, and the other three will arrive soon.

Romania needs to negotiate with NATO allies, especially the U.S., to get another Patriot system to replace the one sent to Ukraine. The cost of the new system will be covered by international funds allocated for Ukraine.

In exchange, the Romanian parliament will need to approve the adoption of a new Patriot system, which will cost around $60 million in fees and commissions from the Romanian Ministry of Defense budget.

The exact timing for transferring the Patriot system to Ukraine is not yet set, but Romania wants to expedite the process.

The 3+ configuration features advanced radar and PAC-3 missiles that can target ballistic missiles up to 20 kilometers away. Each battery has four PAC-3 missiles, compared to one in the older PAC-2 version. The Patriot system costs about $1 billion, and each missile costs around $4 million.

• On August 19, the German government announced a new military aid package to Ukraine, including the IRIS-T air defense system and Vector drones.