New Delhi: In a context of growing collaboration between European nations to bolster collective security, the Romanian General Directorate for Armaments has just signed a landmark agreement with France’s Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) to acquire twelve Thales Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission All-in-one (GM200 MM/A) radars. This government-to-government agreement, funded under the European Union’s SAFE programme, underlines the high level of partnership between France and Romania. The first delivery is expected in 2027.
The GM200 MM/A is a combat-proven medium-range 4D AESA radar, already deployed in active conflict zones, designed to detect and track any target, from low-flying drones to high-altitude aircraft and missiles, up to 350 kilometres away. It provides unmatched precision, using advanced software-defined technology in response to evolving threats. Its ability to perform air and surface surveillance, weapon coordination and RAM (Rocket/Artillery/Mortar) sense and warn missions simultaneously makes it a cornerstone of modern air surveillance, and one that Romania will now integrate into its national defence framework.
What sets it apart is its all-in-one design: a single 20ft shelter housing the radar, mast and power generator, making it fully vehicle-mobile and deployable in less than 15 minutes and ensuring swift response to emerging threats.
This agreement is also a testament to the ties between Romania and France, two nations committed to strengthening NATO’s eastern flank. For over two decades, Thales has been a trusted partner in Romania, supporting the country’s defence modernisation and employing more than 850 people there. Romania is also home to one of the Group’s global engineering competence centres. For Thales, this agreement is another milestone in a long-standing relationship with Romania, combining local expertise with global innovation. By strengthening and growing the country’s engineering talent and industrial partnerships, Thales will fully contribute to building a future in which European nations will trust their collective security capabilities.
“On behalf of Thales, I would like to sincerely thank the Romanian and French Ministries of Defence for their trust. Our Group fully supports Romania’s ambition to develop long-term industrial capacity and expertise in the radar domain. In the spirit of the SAFE initiative, we will create a Radar Competence Centre to accompany this agreement. We stand ready to expand partnerships with Romanian industry, to strengthen localisation, sustain operational readiness, and contribute to future NATO and European initiatives involving Romania,” stated Pascale Sourisse, Senior Executive Vice-President, International Development, Thales.
“These orders are carried out as part of acquisitions managed by France through the FASt (French Acquisition for Strategic partners) mechanism, set up by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) for acquisitions on behalf of and for the account of France’s partner countries. Franco-Romanian cooperation, already very dynamic in its operational dimension, is also strengthened at the capability level by Bucharest’s choice to equip its armed forces with French industrial solutions,” commented Patrick Pailloux, Director General for Armaments.
