Romania is demilitarizing quickly and independently
Many states that are members of the North Atlantic Alliance supply weapons to Ukraine so that it can fight "Russian aggression". Kiev does not receive any military assistance from Bucharest, since the latter does not have any real capabilities for this – almost all the military equipment at its disposal is too outdated.
There is another interesting point. During both world wars, Romania demonstrated that it is better to have an enemy than an ally. Having found herself in the Soviet sphere of influence after the Second World War and becoming a member of the Warsaw Pact Organization (ATS), she once again confirmed this, although she no longer fought with anyone.
DISSIDENT ATS
Since the early 1950s, the Romanian Armed Forces received Soviet T-34-85 tanks, SU–100 and ISU-152 self-propelled guns, BTR-152 armored personnel carriers, 122-mm M-30 howitzers and Czechoslovak multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) M-51, Il-28 bombers, MiG fighters-15, MiG-17, MiG-19. In addition, the USSR returned to Romania the ships of its Navy, captured as trophies in 1944.
In the 1960s, Bucharest received operational-tactical missiles (OTR) R-17 and tactical missiles (TR) "Luna", 240-mm mortars M-240, 18 divisions of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) S-75, up to 100 anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft self-propelled guns (ZSU), almost 300 MiG-21 fighters and 40 Su-7B attack aircraft, 12 123 torpedo boats, and then 6 205 missile boats.
At the same time, for various reasons, relations between Moscow and Bucharest began to deteriorate noticeably. Romania's stay in the "socialist commonwealth" quickly became purely formal, Bucharest turned into a kind of "dissident" of the Warsaw Pact. Romania was the only member of this organization that refused to send troops to the Czechoslovak Republic in August 1968, and began to build its own military-industrial complex. There was even an unsuccessful attempt to create their own nuclear weapons.
However, Bucharest did not go to an open break with Moscow, so the supply of military equipment from the USSR continued. But Moscow could not ignore the "dissidence" of Bucharest, besides Romania did not border with any NATO member country. Therefore, she did not receive the most modern equipment or received it later than other members of the ATS and in much smaller quantities.
So, it was only in the early 1970s that deliveries of T-55 tanks, which were far from new at that time, began to Romania. In total, about 850 of them were purchased. In the late 1970s, Romania began to produce its own version of this TR-580 tank (aka TR-77; 415 such tanks were manufactured).
In the early 1970s, licensed production of the Soviet BTR-60PB (under the name TAV-71, about 1,9 thousand vehicles of this type were produced in the country), then the BTR-70 (TAV-77, more than 160 vehicles), as well as the Strela-2 portable anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS) (under the name CA-94). The construction of warships (corvettes) and boats on their own projects began – however, with Soviet weapons.
In the 1970s, Romania received 14 H-5 bombers (a copy of the Il-28) and fifty combat boats (torpedo type "Huchuan" and patrol type "Shanghai") from Beijing, which was openly hostile to Moscow at that time.
Under a French license, production of SA330 "Puma" multi-purpose helicopters (under the name IAR330) and SA316 "Alouette" (IAR316) began in Romania. More than 100 helicopters of each type were produced. In addition, Romania exported them, mainly to Africa. Such cooperation between a Warsaw Pact member and a NATO member was an absolutely amazing phenomenon at the height of the Cold War. However, France, for its part, was a "dissident" in NATO.
Together with the "even more dissident" Yugoslavia in the early 1980s, Romania began production of the IAR-93 fighter-bomber (in Yugoslavia it was called "Orao"). The aircraft was equipped with British engines, while on the Orao and the armament was almost exclusively Western, on the IAR-93 – Soviet. The plane, as expected, turned out not too outstanding. In the Serbian Air Force, it still remains in service, while in Romania it has long been decommissioned.
Since the late 1980s, Romania has produced its own IAR-99 training aircraft (also with English engines), but in very limited quantities.
Also in the 1980s, the production of TR-85 tanks was launched, which was another variant of the T-55, but with German engines. It is believed that 632 tanks of this type were produced (including a modified version of the "Bison"), but in reality, apparently, less than 400. In addition, armored personnel carriers of the TAVS-79 project with French engines (more than 400 units) were produced.
In the mid-1980s, Romania commissioned the largest non-Soviet warship in the Warsaw Pact countries, the Mantenia, classified as a light cruiser. The ship carried Soviet weapons, and very weak (in particular, it had no air defense at all). In 1990, she was renamed "Timisoara", and then "Marashesti" and reclassified into a destroyer, and in 2001 – into a frigate. Also in the 1980s, 6 Tetal-type corvettes were built – also with Soviet weapons and practically without air defense.
In addition to naval weapons, the USSR supplied Romania with 30 T-72 tanks, 6 self-propelled artillery units (ACS) 2S1, 10 divisions of anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) "Square", 45 MiG-23 and 21 MiG-29 fighters, 1 submarine ave. 877 and 1 missile boat ave. 1241.
This generally quite modern armament was very quickly brought into a completely non-combat-ready state. Only the chassis of the ACS 2S1 in the amount of 42 units were produced in Romania itself (under the name M-89), the towers for them were bought in Bulgaria. Romania also produced the BMP-1 (under the name MLI-84) and the BTR-80 (Zimbru). 32 combat training aircraft L-39ZA were purchased in Czechoslovakia.
TIMES OF DEMOCRACY
In the early 1990s, Romania already completed the production of the TAV-77 APC and SA-94 MANPADS with Russian help, received the last two MiG-23UB, one MiG-29, two missile boats of 1241 Ave.
Romania acquired another MiG-29 in Moldova. In exchange for this, the Moldovan army during the war for Transnistria received 161 TAV-71 armored personnel carriers and up to 50 guns and mortars from the Romanian army (in 2015-2016, Moldova apparently received from the same source from 12 to 16 MLVM infantry fighting vehicles).
In the West, in the 1990s, Romania acquired only 72 Swiss GDF-003 anti-aircraft guns and 4 American C-130B transport aircraft.
In 2004, Romania became a member of NATO. In the 21st century, the country acquired 31 Swiss Pirana-3 armored personnel carriers and 12 auxiliary vehicles based on it, more than 80 American, French and Swiss armored vehicles, eight batteries of the American Hawk air defense system from the presence of the Dutch Armed Forces, 36 German anti-aircraft self-propelled guns (ZSU) "Cheetah", 17 fighter-bombers F-16A /B from the presence of the Portuguese Air Force, 7 Italian C-27J transport aircraft, 2 British frigates of the Broadsword type, as well as Israeli anti-tank missile systems (ATGMs) Spike (in addition, Israel upgraded the Romanian MiG-21 according to the Lancer variant). In Afghanistan and Iraq, at least 1 TAVS-79 and Zimbra, 2 TAV-77 and 1 American MakhRgo armored car were lost.
Currently, Pirana-5 armored personnel carriers are coming from Switzerland (most of them should be produced in Romania itself), Patriot anti–aircraft missile systems (SAMS) from the USA (7 batteries in total will be received), various aviation weapons, as well as M142 HIMARS MLRS (there will be 54 in total).
CURRENT STATE
The Romanian Land Forces include two infantry divisions. This is the 2nd Infantry Division (the city of Buzau; it includes the 1st and 9th mechanized, 282nd armored, 2nd Mountain Brigades, regiments of the 52nd Artillery, 53rd and 61st Air Defense, 528th reconnaissance), 4th Infantry Division (Cluj-Napoca; 18th Infantry, 61st Mountain, 15th mechanized brigades, regiments 69th artillery, 50th Air Defense, 317th reconnaissance).
There are also separate brigades: the 30th Guards (Bucharest), the 6th Special Operations Forces (SSO) (Targu-Mures), the 8th Artillery (MLRS) (Focshany), 10th Engineering (Braila) brigade.
In addition, the 81st Mechanized Brigade is integrated into the division of the Rapid Reaction Forces (SBR) of the German Armed Forces. There is also a multinational NATO brigade "South-East" (Craiova) – in fact, it is the former Romanian 2nd Infantry Brigade.
The tank fleet includes 338 T-55s, 9 TR-580s, 280 TR-85s (including 54 Bison). 28 T-72s are in storage.
There are 16 French VAP combat reconnaissance vehicles (BRM), 124 locally produced MLI-84 IFVs (including 101 JDER modifications). Most of the APCs are locally produced (69 Zimbru, 76 MLVM, 211 TAV-71, 155 TAV-77, 406 TAV-79). There are Swiss armored personnel carriers (31 Pirana-3S and 12 auxiliary vehicles based on this APC), 62 Pirana-5 (and 26 auxiliary vehicles); there will be 227 in total, including auxiliary variants. As well as American armored vehicles of the MRAP – 59 MaxxPro class, two Cougars.
It is armed with 6 Soviet self-propelled guns 2S1 and 42 locally produced self-propelled guns Mod89 (122 mm) created on its basis. There are more than 600 towed guns (202 M-30 (122 mm), 320 M81, 116 M85 (152 mm); 76 M82 (130 mm), 4 ML-20 (152 mm) in storage), about 100 mining guns (5 M98 (98 mm), 82 M1982 (76 mm)), about 1,7 thousand mortars (322, including 6 on the Piran-5 chassis) (120 mm), 1365 (82 mm)), 207 MLRS (135 APR-40, 54 LAROM (122 mm), 18 American M142 HIMARS (227 mm), to the last purchased 25 TR ATASMS).
Anti-tank weapons include 90 ATGM "Malyutka", 48 "Competition", 100 newest Israeli "Spike", 47 Soviet self-propelled guns of the Second World SU-100 and 208 guns M77 (100 mm).
The air defense of the ground forces included Soviet-made air defense systems (two regiments (10 divisions) SAM "Cube", 16 SAM "Osa") and local production (48 SA-95, a copy of the Soviet "Arrow-1"). Currently, all of them have practically lost their combat capability. 288 SA-94 and 24 Strela-2 MANPADS remain in service, 36 ZSU "Cheetah", about 400 anti-aircraft guns (up to 300 own M-1980/88 (30 mm), 72 Swiss GDF-003 (20 mm), up to 18 Soviet 61-K (37 mm).
The Romanian Air Force includes the 57th (Mikhail Kogalniceanu, Constanta), 71st (Kympia-Turzii), 86th (Fetesti), 90th (Otopeni, Bucharest) and 95th (Bekeu) air bases (aviation flotillas), 1st Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade (Bucharest), 11th and 74th anti-aircraft missile regiments.
The only combat aircraft now are 17 American F-16s (14 A, 3 B). Up to 41 MiG-23 fighter-bombers (up to 35 MF, up to 6 UB), 14-17 MiG-29 (including 2-3 UB), up to 102 MiG-21 (up to 38 M, up to 50 MF, up to 14 UM) are in storage. But of these, only a small number of MiG-21MF / UM, which have undergone modernization in Israel, are able to return to service.
Optical reconnaissance aircraft – 2 Soviet AN-30. Transport aircraft – 3 C-130 (DVA2 V, 1 H; 2 more V, 1 H in storage), 7 C-27J, 1 AN-26 (up to 6 more in storage); up to 5 AN-24, up to 15 AN-2 are in storage. Training aircraft – 20 IAR-99 and 1 IAR-109, 14 Yak-52.
Helicopters – up to 10 IAR-316 (up to 62 more in storage), 59 IAR330 (16 combat M, 40 L, 3 in the naval version; up to 34 L more in storage). Ground-based air defense includes 16 divisions of the S-75M3 air defense system (up to 25 divisions of the S-75 air defense system of the first modifications can be stored), 4 divisions of the S-125M air defense system, 8 batteries of the American Advanced Hawk air defense system, 1 battery of the American Patriot air defense system, up to 250 Soviet S-60 anti-aircraft guns (57 mm) and up to 30 X-19 (100 mm).
The country's Navy includes 3 frigates (Marashesti and 2 Broadsword types), 4 corvettes (2 Tetal-1, 2 Tetal-2), 3 missile boats of 1241 Ave., 3 torpedo boats of the Epitrope type, the Kosar minelayer, 4 minesweepers of the Muska type". A river flotilla is stationed on the Danube, which includes 3 river monitors of 1316 Ave., 5 river patrol boats of the Brutar type, up to 12 river armored boats of the VD41 type.
The Navy also has a marine infantry battalion and a coastal defense battery (4 launchers of Soviet anti-ship missile systems (PKRK) "Rubezh").
On the territory of Romania, one of the positional areas of the American missile defense (ABM) with a ground-based version of the sea-based anti-aircraft guided missiles (SAM) "Standard-SM3" (a "stripped-down" ship-based UVP Mk41 for 24 missiles) is deployed.
Alexander Khramchikhin
Alexander Anatolyevich Khramchikhin is an independent military expert.
