Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has secured a major contract from Romania to supply its new V/SHORAD (Very Short and Short Range Air Defense) capability. The deal, worth approximately 1.9 billion euros ($2.23 billion), was awarded by Romania’s Ministry of National Defence after an open competitive tender.
Following the conclusion of the evaluation phase, no legal objections were submitted by other participants, paving the way for the official agreement to be signed between Rafael and the Romanian government. The procurement was initially greenlit by Romania’s parliament in 2020, with the selection process launching three years later.
Although the exact system Romania is acquiring was not disclosed, it is widely believed that Rafael’s Spyder system was the proposed solution. The Spyder platform, known for its mobility and multi-missile capabilities, can intercept threats at distances up to 80 kilometers using Python-5 or Derby missiles.
This contract represents one of the most significant defense deals between Romania and an Israeli firm, and stands as the second-largest Israeli arms export after the Arrow 3 system contract with Germany.
