Starting on November 3, the 74th PATRIOT Regiment Mihai Bravu is moving personnel and equipment to the Capu Midia ground-to-air firing range for participation in the first tactical exercise with troops and real F.A. firings, PATRIOT SPARK 23.11. This was announced in an official press release by the Romanian Defence Ministry.
This exercise takes place between 02-17 November to validate and verify the operation of the first PATRIOT surface-to-air missile system supplied to the Romanian Air Force in 2020, as well as preparation for increasing operational capacity.
The same source mentions that the exercise was planned a year before the execution and is included in the Plan with the main activities of the General Staff of the Air Force. This mention is necessary as any similar movements and military exercises in Romania could be interpreted as an escalation of the regional tension in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
Global Patriot™ Solutions is an anti-missile defence system consisting of radar, command and control technology and multiple types of interceptors, all working together to detect, identify and neutralize tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, advanced aircraft and other threats.
Patriot is the basis of the anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence of 18 countries.
It is manufactured by the U.S. defence contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target,” a backronym for “Patriot.”
Photo source: Raytheon
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