On Tuesday, 20 December, Ministry of National Defence, through C.N. Romtehnica S.A., and Elbit Systems Ltd Company from Israel signed the framework agreement for the provision of the Second class UAS tactical-operative System.

The framework agreement, which was awarded after having conducted a specific procedure organized in accordance with the stipulations of the Government Decision no. 912/2021 on the approval of the circumstances and specific procedure of the Second class UAS tactical-operative System Procurement Program, will be run over a five-year period and awards subsequent contracts consisting in supplying seven UAS Watchkeeper X Systems, which amount to almost 1,891 billion lei, without VAT.

The provision of the seven UAS Watchkeeper X Systems, which are to equip the Romanian Armed Forces, will be done in order to protect the Romanian state's essential security interest. Elbit Systems Ltd Company has the obligation to create and consolidate -on national territory - a manufacturing, integration, testing and maintenance capability in the military field for the supplied systems, with the aid of domestic economic operators.

Thus, beginning with the first UAS Watchkeeper X System, the domestic economic operators will manufacture ,on Romanian territory, the aerial platform and the command & control ground station structures as well as the electrical and mechanical components of the systems.

Also, starting with the third UAS Watchkeeper X System, the adjacent electrical and mechanical systems will be manufactured in Romania, by economic operators acting in the national defence industry. The complex maintenance works throughout the life-cycle of the UAS Watchkeeper X Systems will be provided by domestic economic operators, in order to avoid the provision of these services by foreign companies during crisis situations or wartime.

The Press Office