Romania secures €1 billion in defence contracts via EU SAFE programme
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) announced that, by 30 May 2026, it had signed contracts worth almost €1 billion under the EU Security Action for Europe (SAFE) financing. The contracts, awarded to firms from Romania, France, Germany and Italy, cover major projects such as military mobility, multi‑victim management, CBRNe protection, mass‑evacuation, air and naval intervention, critical communications and ICT resilience. Among the purchases are two Leonardo C‑27J Spartan transport aircraft for emergency missions, to be operated by the MAI Aviation Inspectorate.
The Ministry of National Defence clarified that the procurement of NATO‑type individual armament under the same SAFE programme follows pre‑set operational requirements and does not favour any particular supplier.
German defence group Rheinmetall signed five contracts with Romania under SAFE, valued at €5.7 billion, for infantry combat vehicles, short‑range air‑defence systems, ammunition, and naval patrol vessels, with more than half of production to be carried out in Romania. Deliveries are scheduled for 2028‑2030.
Together, these agreements illustrate Romania’s extensive use of the SAFE instrument to modernise its armed forces and enhance national security.