Romania signed a deal on Tuesday to acquire seven Watchkeeper X unmanned aircraft systems from Elbit Systems for roughly 1.89 billion lei ($408.77 million), the defence ministry said.
Under the five-year deal, Elbit Systems will transfer some of the systems’ production, testing and maintenance to Romanian defence firms, part of wider government plans to overhaul its state defence industry.
Starting with the first UAS Watchkeeper X system, the production of the aerial platform and the GCS structure, as well as various electrical and mechanical components will be produced in Romania.
With the third Watchkeeper X system, the production of all electrical and mechanical systems will be carried out in Romania as well as complex level maintenance operations throughout the life cycle of the system, so that in crisis / war situations it will not necessary to perform these operations outside the country.
Romania will be the second Watchkeeper operator (second to the UK).