The Minister of Defense, Ionut Mosteanu, announced a major step in defense policy, following the favorable opinion given by the Defense Committee of the Chamber of Deputies for the law that introduces, for the first time, the concept of "voluntary military service".
Minister of Defense states that 74% of Romanians support voluntary military service, according to an INSCOP survey, a sign that there is consistent public support for a modern formula for training the reserve and for strengthening national security.
Ionut Mosteanu says that the program is aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 35, both boys and girls, and lasts up to four months. During this period, participants benefit from accommodation, food, equipment, medical assistance and the monthly salary of an active military man.
At the end, the state grants an additional allowance equivalent to three average gross salaries. Mosteanu emphasizes that it is a concrete opportunity for young people to train, to understand military discipline and to directly contribute to the country's security, and for the state, a real way to rejuvenate the reserve and build a modern and well-trained army.
The Defense Minister states that a well-trained army means a strong Romania and rejects the disinformation campaigns that he attributes to Kremlin propaganda, showing that the intensity of these narratives will not divert the course of reforms. "We are moving forward," Mosteanu says, insisting that legislative projects and endowment programs aim at credible capacity growth.
Ionut Mosteanu stated that also yesterday, the joint committees for defense, public order and national security of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate unanimously approved the request of the Ministry of National Defense to start the procedures for the "Main Battle Tank" program.
Romania intends to acquire, over time, 216 state-of-the-art tanks. A central element is the industrial component: the armored vehicles will be produced and maintained on Romanian territory, which represents an opportunity for the defense industry and for the creation of new jobs.
The Minister of Defense points out that the equipment program is structured in two stages: Stage I, Phase 2, with a value of 458,20 million USD, and Stage II, worth 6.488,34 million EUR. According to the Minister, these investments aim to improve operational capabilities and fulfill the army's missions and obligations, both for national defense and for compliance with international commitments.
At the same time, the project aims to operationalize the capability targets assumed within the NATO and EU defense planning processes, contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the Program for the Transformation of the Romanian Army by 2040.
In the direction of the regulatory framework, the Defense Committee of the Chamber of Deputies voted an admission report for the amendments to Law no. 446/2006 on the preparation of the population for defense. These amendments create the legal basis for the fulfillment in peacetime, exclusively voluntarily, of active military service by citizens who wish to undergo military training, by introducing the new concept of "volunteer soldier/enlisted person".
During the training, participants benefit from free accommodation, equipment, food, medical assistance and monthly salary, and at the end they receive an allowance of three average gross salaries.
The Minister of Defense sends a message of continuity and firmness, Romania is taking concrete steps for a prepared and respected army, combining voluntary training of young people with legislative modernization and large-scale endowment programs, with direct effects on national security, the defense industry and the credibility of international commitments.
