Jerusalem, 22 July, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Romania’s Defense Ministry confirmed it will become the first European country to procure an Israeli Iron Dome system, signing a €2 billion ($2.3 billion) framework agreement with Israel to acquire short- and very short-range air defense systems.
“The framework agreement provides for the signing of three subsequent contracts, through which six integrated SHORAD-VSHORAD [short-range air defenses and very short-range air defenses] anti-aircraft systems will be acquired,” along with training and simulation systems, ammunition, logistical support, and more, the Romanian Defense Ministry said.
The systems, developed by Israel’s government-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems are designed to intercept low-altitude threats such as drones, missiles, and aircraft.
“RO & IL take their strategic cooperation in defense industry, already solid, to the next level consolidating a partnership based on trust and mutual reinforcement,” Romania’s Ambassador to Israel, Radu Ioanid tweeted on Tuesday.
The acquisition comes as Romania, a NATO and EU member, faces mounting security concerns tied to Russia’s ongoing war in neighboring Ukraine. The two countries share a 613 km border, much of which is made up of rivers. Romanian authorities have found parts of Russian drones targeting Ukrainian port infrastructure along the Danube River on numerous occasions.
Romanian officials said the new systems will be fully integrated into NATO’s defense architecture, enhancing both national and allied air defense capabilities. The move also responds to increasing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for European allies to meet NATO defense spending goals.
Israel set an all-time record for defense exports in 2024, with sales reaching $14.795 billion, according to Defense Ministry figures released in June. This marks a 13% increase over the previous year and the fourth consecutive year the record has been broken.
More than half of the contracts signed in 2024 exceeded $100 million in value, and over half of the deals — 54% — were with European countries. Demand for Israeli military technology surged as European countries increased their defense budgets in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Despite 21 months of war, Israeli defense firms maintained continuous production for both the Israel Defense Forces and international clients.
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