The Romanian defence ministry plans to acquire an airborne early-warning (AEW) aircraft as part of a purchase of additional Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules for its air force.
The Romanian air force has recently taken delivery of four ex-US Air Force C-130B transports, and the ministry says that it intends to place a follow-on order for an unspecified number of aircraft. According to the ministry, these will be a mixture of C-130H transports, tankers and AEW aircraft.
The Hercules are taking the place of Romania's ageing Antonov An-24s and An-26s.
The ministry says that it wants to have an AEW capability compatible with that of its potential partners in NATO. All the aircraft will come secondhand from the US armed forces, and the ministry says that the terms of payment are to be decided together with the US Department of Defense.
Military sources in Bucharest question, however, whether the country can afford an AEW capability in the near future. The new Government is introducing a radical package of economic reforms, and the national defence budget has become a controversial topic.
The International Monetary Fund recommends that the defence budget should not exceed 1.6% of Romania's gross domestic product (GDP), but the defence ministry is hoping for over 3%. Romania's 1996 GDP totalled $24.6 billion in 1996. A compromise solution close to 2.5% is likely.
Source: Flight International
