Read more about the article Romania’s Defence Industry at a Crossroads: Modernising Capabilities and Mitigating Dependencies through SAFE Funding
Research Report

Romania’s Defence Industry at a Crossroads: Modernising Capabilities and Mitigating Dependencies through SAFE Funding

Romania will benefit from over €16 billion in funding through the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism, the second-largest allocation established by the European Commission. This fuels a newer and unique blend of growth opportunities for its defence capabilities. Romania's defence standing, strongly shaped by the country’s strategic position and its NATO and EU membership, has significant relevance for the traditional security landscape in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea area; more so in light of evolving hybrid threats posed by Russia’s destabilising attempts to extend its sphere of influence in the region. The paper assesses current structural vulnerabilities in Romania’s defence sector, and discusses how industrial cooperation with a host of European partners, if properly pursued, will allow Bucharest to strengthen the competitiveness of the state-owned company ROMARM while also mitigating the risks of external dependency on its closest ally, the U.S., for procurement of military equipment.

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13 October 2025
Read more about the article Black Sea Security: A New Partnership Between Bulgaria and Romania Constitutes Regional Special Operations Command of NATO
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Black Sea Security: A New Partnership Between Bulgaria and Romania Constitutes Regional Special Operations Command of NATO

The security of the Black Sea region remains unstable as the war in Ukraine lingers into its third year. In recognition of the increasing need to bolster defence security in the area, NATO and its member states have intensified their cooperative efforts to strengthen deterrence and protect their interests. As a gateway between Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the region serves as a critical security and defence frontier.  On the sidelines of the recent NATO summit in Washington, D.C., Bulgaria and Romania signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Regional Special Operations Command for the Black Sea (HQ R-SOCC). The new command will integrateRomanian and Bulgarian special forces through a new Command and Control (C2) structure, which will conduct the Alliance’s special missions in the region. This newly created body’s main task is to protect merchant ships and conduct inspections, ultimately supporting the safeguarding of NATO's strategic interests in the area (Ministry of National Defense, 2024). 

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22 August 2024
Read more about the article Romania Increases its Military Budget: “Security Starts at Home”
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Romania Increases its Military Budget: “Security Starts at Home”

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many European NATO Member States have announced their plans to significantly increase their defence spending. In line with this trend, on 1 March 2022, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis officially announced his government’s intention to increase the defence capacity of the Romanian State from the current 2% of the national GDP to 2.5%.

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21 March 2022