Rheinmetall faces daily penalties over Romanian anti-aircraft system delays

The German defense company Rheinmetall is facing daily penalties amounting to tens of thousands of euros due to delays in delivering modernized anti-aircraft systems to the Romanian Army. Radu Miruță, the interim Minister of Defense, confirmed that the April 15, 2026, deadline for the first two systems has passed, and deliveries have not yet occurred.

Official documents from the Ministry of National Defence indicate that the first two Oerlikon systems failed reception tests because certain subsystems did not meet technical requirements. Rheinmetall has cited technical issues and supply chain difficulties, committing to replace the non-conforming components. While the company previously suggested a September delivery date, officials noted this timeline also appears unrealistic.

The total contract is valued at 328 million euros and aims to provide capabilities to counter drones, missiles, and small projectiles. These delays come despite Romania signing new, multi-billion euro contracts under the European SAFE program with Rheinmetall group companies earlier this year.