Romanian Armed Forces

Romanian Armed Forces
Forțele Armate Române

The coat of arms
Founded 1860
Current form 11 April 2000
Service branches Land Forces
Naval Forces
Air Forces
Headquarters Bucharest
Leadership
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Klaus Iohannis
Minister of National Defence Gabriel-Beniamin Leş
Chief of the General Staff General Nicolae Ionel Ciucă
Manpower
Military age 18 years of age
Conscription No
Available for
military service		 5,601,234 males, age 15–49 (2010 est.[1]),
5,428,939 females, age 15–49 (2010 est.[2])
Fit for
military service		 4,550,409 males, age 15–49 (2010 est.[3]),
4,507,880 females, age 15–49 (2010 est.[4])
Reaching military
age annually		 117,798 males (2010 est.[5]),
111,607 females (2010 est.[6])
Active personnel 84,480 (ranked 49th)
Reserve personnel 84,145
Deployed personnel

2,187 (total)[7]

 Afghanistan - 1,821
Expenditures
Budget €3.65 billion (FY2017)[8]
Percent of GDP 2% (FY2017)
Industry
Domestic suppliers ROMARM
Romtehnica
Industria Aeronautică Română
Foreign suppliers

Current:
 United States
 United Kingdom
 Germany
 Spain
 France
 Italy
 Israel
 Austria
  Switzerland
 Russia
 People's Republic of China

Former:
 Soviet Union
 Czechoslovakia
 North Korea
Annual exports €177,000,000 (2014)[9]
Related articles
History Military history of Romania
Ranks Romanian Armed Forces ranks and insignia

The Land Forces, Air Force and Naval Forces of Romania are collectively known as the Romanian Armed Forces (Romanian: Forțele Armate Române or Armata Română). The current Commander-in-chief is General Nicolae Ionel Ciuca who is managed by the Minister of National Defence while the president is the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces during wartime.

84,000 men and women currently comprise the Armed Forces, 15,000 of them being military personnel and the other 15,000 civilians. Out of the 90,000 military and civilian personnel, 60,000 are the active troops (forțele active) while 30,000 comprise the active territorial reserves (forțele teritoriale).[10] As of 2010, the Land Forces have a reported strength of 43,000, the Air Force 9,700, the Naval Forces 7,150, and Joint Forces 13,500.[11] As per the 2011 White Paper, these forces are to be gradually decreased over the 2011–2014 period to reach a total of about 65,000 active troops and active reserves. Total defence spending currently accounts for 2% of total national GDP, which represents approximately 3.65 billion euros (ranked 54th).[12]

Equipment

The Land Forces have overhauled their equipment in recent years, and are today a modern army with multiple NATO capabilities. They are participating in a peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan, together with the other NATO countries. The Land Forces are at present planning on replacing the TAB APC vehicles with new armored personnel carriers produced in conjunction with the Germany company Rheinmetall.[13] The Air Force currently operates modernized Soviet MiG-21 LanceR fighters, which are due to be replaced by modernized ex-Portuguese F-16 fighters starting with 2016. In the first stage a first squadron of 12 fighter aircraft will be acquired and a second squadron of another 12 aircraft [14][15] will follow by 2020. The Air Force has also received 7 new C-27J Spartan tactical airlift aircraft, in order to replace the bulk of the old transport force.[16] Two modernized ex-Royal Navy Type 22 frigates were acquired by the Naval Forces in 2004 and a further four modern missile corvettes will be commissioned in the next few years. Three domestically-produced IAR 330 Puma NAVAL helicopters were also ordered by the Naval Forces, and were commissioned in late 2008.

Manpower

Romanian soldiers on patrol in Afghanistan

Romania joined NATO in 2004. As a consequence, extensive preparations were made to abolish conscription by 2007 and create a professional army in place of a conscripted one.

The new armed forces include 90,000 men and women, of whom about 75,000 are military personnel (the remaining 15,000 or so are civilians). 60,000 of the 90,000 are active forces; 30,000 comprise the territorial forces.[17] Out of the 75,000 troops which comprise the actual military, about 45,800 make up the Romanian Land Forces, 13,250 serve as the Romanian Air Force and 6,800 are in the Romanian Naval Forces; the remaining 8,800 serve in other fields.[18]

Modernization

Romanian soldiers during training

The Romanian Military will essentially undergo a three-stage restructuring. As of 2017, the first two stages have been completed. 2015 marked the end of the second stage when the armed forces reached a superior compatibility with NATO forces.[19] In 2025, the long-term stage is to be completed. The stages aim at modernising the structure of the armed forces, reducing the personnel as well as acquiring newer and more improved technology that is compatible with NATO standards.[19]

Current deployments

Romanian soldiers in Southern Afghanistan during a joint operation with American forces

Romanian troops participated in the occupation of Iraq, reaching a peak of 730 soldiers before being slowly drawn down to 350 soldiers. Romania terminated its mission in Iraq and withdrew its last troops on July 24, 2009.

Romania currently has troops deployed in Afghanistan, and is planning to nearly double its troop strength there to 1,800 by September 2010, according to an announcement made by President Traian Basescu in Prague on April 8, 2010.[20]

Other militarized institutions

Soldiers of the 30th Honor Guard Regiment "Mihai Viteazul" during the 2007 Bastille Day Military Parade in Paris

The following Romanian institutions have military status but are not part of the Armed Forces:

Military ranks

See also: Romanian Armed Forces ranks and insignia for the full insignia

Romanian Land Forces

Other ranks

Specialists

Officers

General Officers

Marshals

No longer used:

Romanian Air Forces

Other ranks

Specialists

Officers
Note that those in parentheses are ranks formerly used (stated in italic) or former rank names or literal rank meanings.

Romanian Naval Forces

Naval Ratings

Specialists

Officers
Note that those in parentheses are ranks formerly used (as stated) or former rank names or literal rank meanings.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ CIA World Factbook, Military of Romania
  2. ↑ CIA World Factbook, Military of Romania
  3. ↑ CIA World Factbook, Military of Romania
  4. ↑ CIA World Factbook, Military of Romania
  5. ↑ CIA World Factbook, Military of Romania
  6. ↑ CIA World Factbook, Military of Romania
  7. ↑ Romanian General Staff Data, November 2011
  8. ↑ , ...bugetul Apararii va fi de 2% din PIB
  9. ↑ Romanian armament exports doubled Gandul, 13 January 2015.
  10. ↑ (in Romanian) Ministry of National Defence. Press conference
  11. ↑ IISS Military Balance 2010.
  12. ↑ (in Romanian), December 5, 2011
  13. ↑ http://www.defensenews.com/articles/romania-to-award-armored-vehicles-deal-to-germanys-rheinmetall
  14. ↑ http://www.romania-insider.com/romania-wants-to-buy-more-f-16s/165568/
  15. ↑ http://www.airforce-technology.com/news/newsromania-to-acquire-f-16-fighter-jets-4821598%5B%5D
  16. ↑ "Spartan Order", Aviation Week & Space Technology, December 11, 2006.
  17. ↑ Ministry of National Defence, Press conference
  18. ↑ Adevărul, România, cel mai important dintre viitorii membri ai NATO ("Romania, the most important among the future NATO members"), November 20, 2002
  19. 1 2 Ministry of National Defence, Strategia de transformare a Armatei României ("Strategy for the transformation of the Romanian Army")
  20. ↑ YAHOO News, WHITE HOUSE NOTEBOOK: Obama in Prague

Further reading

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