OREANDA-NEWS  Moldovan Defense Minister Anatoly Nosaty announced that the Moldovan National Army will receive a batch of aid from the European Union, which will include air defense systems.

"The new air defense systems will be equipped with the functions of intercepting and destroying aircraft, airplanes, helicopters, and some models of missiles," he told reporters after a government meeting on Wednesday.

According to the minister, "European support is necessary for Moldova to ensure the safety of citizens and strengthen the country's defense capability."

"Air defense remains a priority for us. In this context, in addition to the airspace monitoring systems, we found an opportunity to discuss the transition to the next stage, which concerns the systems of direct defense of airspace," Nosaty stressed.

The minister said that in the coming days, the Moldovan authorities and European partners will coordinate the transfer of assistance, which is provided in the form of a grant.

In January, the Moldovan minister announced that a new radar capable of detecting drones would be delivered and installed in Moldova in 2026. According to him, the contract was signed on April 5, 2024, the radar has already been ordered and will be delivered in the first half of 2026.

In December 2023, the Moldovan Ministry of Defense received a radar for monitoring the country's airspace. The French Ground Master 200 radar from Thales was purchased at the expense of the state budget. Its cost was 14 million euros. The mobile system is capable of detecting aerial targets within a radius of 250 kilometers.