Post-Cold War Romanian Army Questions

This is referring to the 1990-2004 (NATO Accession) period questions.

1) Night Vision Devices. What were the ones fielded,which categories of units were issued, improvements over the years, domestic production if any? Infantry ones interest me especially.

2) Anti-Tank Guided Missiles.

What models were fielded, and how were they organized? Were they company level? Battalion level? I doubt it was as low-level as platoon as in the West.In fact,I'm quite sure of it. Domestic production,if any.

3) Army/Divisional/Brigade Anti-Air Formations

What was the structure of these formations? What systems were fielded? Domestic production.

4) MT-LBs. Ok,here is the big question. Some questions do cite their presence in Romanian stocks as "look-alikes" about 1,000 of them. Other sources make no mention of these. So which is it?

5) Air-to-Air Missile Inventory. An interesting conflict between various sources. In some sources the inventory features only short-range air-to-air missiles from the AA-2 to the AA-11 (NATO designations of Soviet missiles). In some sources,only medium-range missiles are mentioned like AA-7 and AA-10.

Could anybody give a definitive answer on this? Again, clarifications on domestic production of any of these missiles is appreciated.

This post has been edited by IAR80 on May 19, 2009 03:15 pm

ATGMs:

AT-3 Sagger (Maliutka) both from the USSR and license produced
AT-4 and AT-5 in smaller numbers, procured from the USSR

An upgraded AT-3 was designed for use on MLI-84M: Maliutka-M2T, basically an AT-3 rocket and guidance section mated with the tandem warhead of the Milan 2T missile:
http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jaau/jaau9211.html
Unclear (at least to me) if it entered serial production

Spike MR/LR - an Israeli design, 50 missiles were bought in 2005 from the Eurospike assembly line in Germany, also for use on MLI-84M

I think we can safely say that the AT-3 is still the main ATGM in service in the Romanian Army (at least when it comes to numbers in inventory)

There's also 1000 Spike ER (8 km range) for use on Puma SOCAT, aquired between 1999-2005, but technically these belong to the Air Force.

AAM:

RS-2US (AA-1 Alkali) used on MiG-19 and MiG-21, also produced in country as A-90. Completely worthless for any kind of aerial warfare post 1950

R-3S (K-13, AA-2 Atoll), used on MiG-21, produced in country as A-91. A-91 was of poorer quality that the original Soviet made R-3S, which was not a particularly reliable missile itself

R-13M (K-13M, AA-2 Atoll) used on MiG-23. Only import ones from the USSR

R-23R/T (AA-7 Apex) used on MiG-23. License aquired as A-911, only a handful produced

R-60 (AA-8 Aphid) used on MiG-23 and 29. There was a program to produce it locally as RAV-RS, died as a prototype.

R-27R (AA-10 Alamo) and R-73E (AA-11 Archer) aquired from the USSR for use on MiG-29.

During the Lancer upgrade program an unknown number of Python III were aquired, as well as 100 R-550 Magic II delivered in 2003-2004.

This post has been edited by Vici on May 19, 2009 04:44 pm

Thanks for your reply. So basically Romania has a rather balanced if obsolete mix of AA missiles,with a slight plus on the short-range ones.

About ATGMs, could you provide an educated guess wether these (besides the Spikes carried either by the SOCATs or MLI-84Ms) were fielded in Platoons as part of Companies or as Companies inside Battalions? Personally,I'd go for the latter.

This leaves the night vision and MT-LBs as areas which I found no definite trace of on the Internet,sadly, my only source of info.

That statement would be valid for the period 1990-2001.
Right now, the only AAMs in inventory are Python III and Magic II

I am not aware of man-portable Spike ATGMs in service with the Romanian Army.

MT-LBs were purchased only in small numbers, as platformes for SNAR artilery counter-battery radar, see:
http://www.cartula.ro/forum/Artilerie-roma...3143.html&st=80

This post has been edited by Vici on May 20, 2009 04:30 pm