Traian Băsescu calls for investments in military technology: “Romania also made tanks, and now it can continue to do so”
Former president Traian Băsescu declared, on Wednesday evening, on TVR Info, that Romania should invest in modern military technology and resume the production of tanks in the country, including by purchasing technology from abroad.
Traian Băsescu spoke about the SAFE FOTO Inquam Photos program
“That's why I've been saying for five-seven years… something like this (arming Europe – no) must be possible. We launch satellites to have information and we must invest in state-of-the-art equipment”said Traian Băsescu at TVR Info.
The former head of state also commented on the discussions regarding the SAFE program and the procurement of military equipment.
“I was looking at the discussions related to the SAFE program, we want Abrams tanks or German tanks… very good, but Romania also made tanks, and now it can continue to make them. It borrows or buys the technology it doesn't have, but it makes the tanks in Mizil or in Bucharest, where we used to make them at Uzina Mecanică”he said.
He believes that the evolution of military technology changes the importance of the differences between the equipment produced by the big states and those manufactured locally.
“In front of a drone, either it's an Abrams tank, or a Romanian tank… it all makes so many parallels. So you need a very elastic thinking and able to see the ongoing technological developments”the former president also declared.
We remind you that President Nicușor Dan announced on Tuesday, May 12, that the SAFE program is progressing according to plan, and Romania will have, by May 31, all the contracts signed within this strategic project. He stated that the military part of the program represents approximately 17 billion euros, “of which approximately 13 billion” will generate production in Romania, the rest being related to road infrastructure projects.
“If we look in perspective, in the medium and long term, on the one hand, the SAFE programs will bring a part of the production to Romania, somewhere around 60% of the production related to the contracts on the military side that we signed, so about 13 billion out of the 17, the difference being on the parts of the highway”said Nicușor Dan.
Last week, the Government approved, in an extraordinary meeting, the signing by the Minister of Finance of a loan agreement between the European Commission and Romania, in the amount of 16.68 billion euros, through the SAFE program.
