Romania buys Lockheed radars

Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] Overseas Corporation and the Romania Ministry of Defense (MoD) have signed a contract for the co-production of 17 TPS-79® Multi-Mission Surveillance Radar systems for Romania’s Phase II “Gap Filler” program.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_r...lerRelease.html

About 19...17 years ago, a radiolocation station which was 100 percent Romanian was designed and built. I could see that prototype while being tested in Bucharest, at the Industrial Electronics Enterprise, sometime in 1992...1993. It looked smarter than the Soviet radiolocation stations from the days of the military service, which was just few years earlier.

I am wondering where are now the Romanian engineers who developed that equipment. I guess they work now somewhere in West. And now we buy equipment made by others, and we are as glad to get it as those guys who gave their gold for the glass beads offered by Columb.

All the countries buy military equipment from outside sources.Even US just bought tanker planes from EADS.There is nothing to be ashamed of.
We all remember what Ceausescu's drive to autharchy led to.

Quina, didn't Romania buy foreign built MiGs, helicopters etc. during the times of C.?

I thought this deal was done a long time ago. It just goes to show how slow arms deals are, these days! Romania would have been better off with a few AWACS aircarft.

Thank you

Yes,imp,but did not R built jets,heli,tanks during that time.Most of them,when new ,were allredy obsolescent.And only God knows at what price!

The determination to manufacture in Romania all what was needed for the Romanian army was not at all a bad idea, and we were close to this target by the end of 1989.

Why am I not surprised UTI Systems is getting a piece of the pie.

Regarding the production of our own radar system, personally I doubt its performance would have been extraordinary. Today, with most of the high-tech industry either gone or waiting to be sold for real-estate it is impossible to even think of building a radar system other than for opening doors at supermarkets.

It was agreed that if Airbus will win the contract for the tanker airplane, it will build a big manufacturing plant in Alabama, U.S.A., where thousands of jobs will be created for the Americans.
I was surprised to learn few years ago that Egypt, not a N.A.T.O. member, was manufacturing under license top American equipment not even sold to Romania, a N.A.T.O. member.

What I am trying to say: Very well, if we buy foreign military equipment, to request to manufacture at least a part of the project, or at least components, in Romania. If it doesn't matter for self providing for defence (not a realistic goal today), at least it will matter in offering some good jobs for some Romanians, in Romania.

This post has been edited by Florin on March 15, 2008 04:19 pm

It was not intended to be a technological leap.
It had a very realistic target: to make a radar station as good as the ones Soviet Union was selling to us. The leadership of the country and of the army was not at all happy with our dependance toward Soviet Union, in regard with radiolocation equipment.
And that target was achieved. Also, remember how many Romanian specialists in all kind of fields left Romania after 1990. That station was designed in late 1980's, and it would be just "the first generation", if we would sustain a continuous program.
Very modern radiolocation equipments, sometimes new concepts, appeared after 1990 in countries like The Czech Republic and Ukraine.