Moldova receives radar produced by Thales to track Russian air threats
Denouncing repeated violations of its airspace by Russian missiles targeting Ukraine, Moldova has received a radar system from French Thales to monitor its airspace, the Moldovan Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday.
In a television interview, Prime Minister Dorin Recean stressed on Monday that Moldova needs a modern air defense system to deal with the Russian threat. “If the Kremlin decides to attack us, it will attack. And with what will people defend themselves? »he added.
Moldova announced in September the acquisition of the Ground Master 200 radar [GM 200] produced by Thales. This radar, which can detect aircraft at a distance of 250 kilometers, can be integrated into an air defense system connected to it. Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatii described the radar as vital to boosting the country’s air defense capabilities.
“The latest incidents in which the airspace of our country was violated have drawn the attention of the authorities to the urgent need to consolidate the defense capabilities of the Republic of Moldova”he underlined in a press release.
The radar system, the acquisition of which was financed from the national defense budget, will monitor the entire airspace of Moldova. The price was not specified. The army of Moldova, a former Soviet republic, is equipped with often obsolete equipment dating from the Soviet era.
Since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in 2022, tensions between Moscow and Chisinau have sharply worsened. The current pro-European Moldovan government has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and claimed that Moscow had hatched a plot to try to overthrow it. Last week, parliament adopted a new security strategy identifying “Moscow” And ” Corruption “ as threats to the security of the country.