Romania to strengthen NATO's presence in Black Sea
Illustrative photo: Romania wants to strengthen NATO in Black Sea
The Supreme Council of National Defense of Romania has supported a plan to increase the number of small military ships in its fleet to strengthen positions in the Black Sea and on NATO’s eastern flank, according to Reuters.
According to the report, Romania canceled a contract in 2023 with the French company Naval Group, which had been awarded a deal to build four Gowind-class naval corvettes for Romania and to modernize two frigates for €1.2 billion.
The agreement was initially delayed due to legal issues and another reason was a failure to reach an agreement with a junior partner over rising costs.
"Council members analyzed and approved equipping the Romanian Navy with a new warship, a light corvette type able to execute in the shortest time a multitude of missions," the defence council said in a statement, adding it has tasked the defence ministry with starting the acquisition process.
Romanian Navy is the least modernized among the country’s armed forces. Romania now plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP in 2024, up from the current 2.2%.
Naval Group is a French shipbuilding company specializing in the design and construction of military vessels and submarines. It is one of the leaders in defense shipbuilding and works closely with the French Navy and other international partners. The company is involved in the development of modern frigates, aircraft carriers, attack and nuclear submarines, as well as weapon systems and maritime technologies.
With a history spanning over 400 years, Naval Group plays a key role in advancing cutting-edge maritime technologies. Its projects include Barracuda-class nuclear submarines, FREMM frigates, and the development of future surface ships. Besides France, the company supplies vessels to Australia, Egypt, India, and Brazil.
Earlier, Romania and Bulgaria were concerned about potential changes in the Black Sea due to US-Russia negotiations. They fear that such talks could expand Moscow’s influence in the region.
