The Military Strategy of Romania is the basic document of the Armed Forces, describing the fundamental objectives and options for carrying out, by military means and actions, the defense policy of the Romanian state. It stipulates the place and role of the Romanian Armed Forces within the efforts for achieving the objectives included in the National Security Strategy and in the Defense White Book of the Government on national security and defense. The Military Strategy represents the basic document, which serves as a guide to the activity of the Romanian Armed Forces in the first years of the next century.
The primary task of our Armed Forces is to guarantee the strict observance of human rights for all Romanian citizens in a sovereign, independent, unitary and indivisible state, actively engaged into the process of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, by a political regime based on constitutional democracy, while keeping a strict political civilian control over the Armed Forces.
To accomplish this mission, the military body is and will be subject exclusively to the Romanian people's will. Under such circumstances, the Romanian Armed Forces must be prepared to prevent, deter, and if necessary, defeat any aggressor that threatens and endangers the security of the Romanian state, simultaneously with providing the capability to participate in conflict prevention, crisis management and collective defense at regional level. The Military Strategy of Romania was developed upon the following basis: Romania has no stated enemies; it enjoys peaceful relations with its neighbors and the probability of an emerging major military short- and medium-term threat to our security, is minimal. The strategy is clearly an active - defensive one. The essence of the strategy includes four strategic concepts.
The first concept - CREDIBLE DEFENSIVE CAPABILITY, implying a permanent capability to respond efficiently and properly to the current and predictable risks posed by the security environment. Based on a realistic assessment of risks, we must permanently maintain quantitatively sufficient and credible forces, trained according to modern standards.
The second concept - RESTRUCTURING AND MODERNIZATION - consists first of all in the setting up of adequate structures, smaller, more compact and flexible, with the ability to quickly deploy and properly resourced to sustain the military effort, and second, the quality improvement of equipment, both by upgrading part of the available equipment, and by purchasing new one. This means both the supply with modern equipment and achievement of Project Force - 2005, a process which will include in a first stage (2000 - 2003) the reshaping of our Armed Forces and the establishment of the new force structure, the training of leaders, the formation of the professional personnel, the modernization and standardization of training. During this stage, only those acquisition programs, which have had specific funds allocated to them will be permitted to proceed, while the other acquisitions will be re-scheduled. In the second stage (2004 - 2007) the emphasis will be placed on the modernization and acquisition of combat, support and protection equipment, specific to the battlefield of the 21st century.
The third concept - ENHANCED AND MORE OPERATIONAL PARTNERSHIP - is based on specific, bilateral and multilateral partnerships and on developing some others supporting the strengthening of national security. The fourth concept - GRADUAL INTEGRATION - consists in accelerating the process of acceding to European and Euro-Atlantic military structures, based on the gradual interoperability of our Armed Forces with the armed forces of the Member States, which will allow Romania to take the desired and deserved position in the international community. An environment of collective security is the best means to protect our interests in the 21st century.