Image: Thales’ GM200 Multi-Mission All-in-one radar (GM200 MM/A) © Thales
Romania has signed a landmark agreement with France to acquire twelve Thales Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission All-in-one (GM200 MM/A) radars, strengthening the country’s air defence network along NATO’s eastern flank.
The Romanian General Directorate for Armaments and France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) concluded the government-to-government deal under the European Union’s SAFE funding programme, as per a recent press statement. The first radars are due for delivery in 2027.
The GM200 MM/A is a combat-proven, medium-range 4D AESA radar already deployed in over 40 countries. It detects and tracks targets ranging from low-flying drones to high-altitude aircraft and missiles at ranges up to 350 kilometres. The system performs air and surface surveillance, weapon coordination and Rocket/Artillery/Mortar sense-and-warn missions simultaneously, using software-defined technology adaptable to evolving threats.
Its all-in-one design houses the radar, mast and power generator within a single 20ft shelter, making it fully vehicle-mobile and deployable in under 15 minutes.
Thales has operated in Romania for over two decades, employing more than 850 people and running one of the Group’s global engineering competence centres there. The agreement will see Thales establish a Radar Competence Centre in the country, building local industrial capacity in the radar domain.
Pascale Sourisse, Senior Executive Vice-President for International Development at Thales, commented: “Our Group fully supports Romania’s ambition to develop long-term industrial capacity and expertise in the radar domain.” She added that Thales stands ready to expand partnerships with Romanian industry to strengthen localisation and support future NATO and European initiatives.
Patrick Pailloux, Director General for Armaments, noted the orders fall under France’s FASt (French Acquisition for Strategic partners) mechanism, which manages acquisitions on behalf of partner nations. He added that Romania’s choice of French industrial solutions deepens capability-level cooperation between the two countries.
Read more on Thales’ website
