On May 12, the US Department of Defense announced that it had signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin for the production and supply of radar stations that will be delivered (via the FMS procedure) to Romania.
The May contract, according to the commissioning announcement, has a value of USD 129 million and is to be completed by August 2026. At the time of signature, full funding was launched, which is entirely sourced from Romania. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will deliver six radar stations with packages of spare parts, maintenance tools, and training services.
According to the Romanian media, the contract concerns the AN / TPQ-53 artillery radars, the purchase of which was signaled by the authorities in Bucharest at the end of 2020. Their order was to be a complementary element for the M142 HIMARS, the deliveries of which began in March 2021.
The AN / TPQ-53 radars are designed to detect incoming mortar, artillery and rocket missiles. The obtained data are to enable the development of data necessary for effective counter-battery fire. In addition, the station’s capabilities allow for early warning of areas that are the target of artillery fire. In March this year, Lockheed Martin and the US Department of Defense signed a multi-year framework agreement that could cover up to 100 stations of this type – all depending on orders received from the US military and export customers through the FMS procedure. All indications are that Romania is the first of them.