The government plans to buy 48 military planes for which authorities will pay at least 4 billion euro until November, Romania's Defense minister Teodor Melescanu declared in an interview for Reuters. Melescanu added that the military planes are necessary to improve Romanian military fleet to comply to NATO standards.
Romania joined NATO in 2004 and takes an active part in Iraq and Afghanistan. Romania's fleet is composed of famous Russian planes MIG-21 that do not correspond to NATO and EU standards. Melescanu declared that an official decision was taken and by November the government will approve this decision.
Melescanu added that the airplanes will be delivered between 2010 and 2012 and when the Russian MIG-21 will be withdrawn.
