Finance
Romania to acquire warships to strengthen NATO eastern flank
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 28, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 24, 2026
Quick Summary
Romania plans to acquire new warships to strengthen its role on NATO's eastern flank, following a canceled deal with Naval Group.
Romania Acquires New Warships to Enhance NATO Defense
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania's Supreme Defence Council on Friday approved a plan to add new small warships to its fleet, part of wider efforts to strengthen its role in the Black Sea and on NATO's eastern flank.
The European Union and NATO member - which shares the longest land border with Ukraine - cancelled in 2023 a long-delayed deal to buy four warships from French firm Naval Group after the company and a junior partner failed to meet a deadline to sign a contract.
Naval Group won the contract to build four Gowind navy corvettes for Romania and renovate two existing frigates for 1.2 billion euros but the deal was held up, first by legal challenges and then by it failing to reach an understanding with its junior partner over rising costs.
"Council members analyzed and approved equipping the Romanian Navy with a new warship, a light corvette type able to execute in the shortest time a multitude of missions," the defence council said in a statement, adding it has tasked the defence ministry with starting the acquisition process.
No further details were provided.
Romania's navy is the least modernised of its military branches. The country currently says it plans to raise defence spending to as much as 2.5% of economic output this year from a little over 2.2% in 2024.
Romania's defence spending could reach 3% of GDP in stages in one to two years, interim president Ilie Bolojan said last month.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
Key Takeaways
- •Romania plans to acquire new warships for its navy.
- •The move strengthens Romania's role on NATO's eastern flank.
- •A previous deal with Naval Group was canceled in 2023.
- •Romania aims to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP.
- •The navy is the least modernized branch of Romania's military.
Frequently Asked Questions about Romania to acquire warships to strengthen NATO eastern flank
1What is the main topic?
The article discusses Romania's plan to acquire new warships to strengthen its role on NATO's eastern flank.
2Why was the previous deal with Naval Group canceled?
The deal was canceled due to legal challenges and failure to agree on rising costs with a junior partner.
3How much does Romania plan to spend on defense?
Romania plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP, with potential to reach 3% in stages.
