We encourage you to read our review of the past week in Central and Eastern Europe:
Romania to acquire polish Warmate loitering munitions under the SAFE program
In late April, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies’ Defense Committee received a list from the government of 15 defense programs with a total value of nearly €8.3 billion, to be financed through the EU’s SAFE credit facility. One of the projects on the list is likely the purchase of Warmate loitering munition systems manufactured by the Polish WB Group. The contract is estimated to be worth approximately €147 million. The acquisition of the system is to be carried out jointly with the Polish side and will include a partial technology transfer.
Romania’s acquisition of Warmate systems fits into the broader context of the developing defense cooperation between Warsaw and Bucharest and the growing export position of the WB Group. A potential joint Polish-Romanian order would allow both countries to secure more favorable contractual and training terms, while also strengthening the standardization of armaments along NATO’s eastern flank. In light of this information, it is also worth noting that WB established a local subsidiary in Romania in April of this year.
Romania announces an increase in the retirement age for soldiers and police officers
On April 27, Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced that the government intends to propose raising the retirement age for military and police personnel, citing economic considerations, among other reasons, to justify this decision. Bolojan pointed to the structurally early retirement in these forces and the phenomenon of personnel leaving service before the age of fifty due to favorable pension privileges. The planned changes are also expected to include an increase in the minimum length of service required to qualify for a pension. The government is also considering differentiating pension benefit amounts based on the nature and risk of the service performed.
The announcement of the pension system reform for the armed forces and uniformed services is part of a broader fiscal consolidation program necessitated, among other things, by EU budgetary conditions. The reform plans may reduce the attractiveness of service in uniformed services in the short term; however, they will help balance the defense budget and allocate a relatively larger share of it to activities related to technical modernization.
Expanding the powers of the Estonian Defense Forces in the event of hybrid operations
A draft amendment to the Defense Forces Organization Act (Est. Kaitseväe korralduse seadus) is currently under consideration in Estonia, aimed at enabling the participation of allied armed forces, including NATO, in countering hybrid threats and in protecting land and sea borders. A new development is the openness to such operations in peacetime, below the threshold of war. The draft also provides for expanding the Estonian Armed Forces’ response capabilities in situations where identifying an aggressor on the country’s territory is difficult, for example, in the case of the use of forced migration engineering mechanisms.
Plans to introduce changes in the law have existed for a long time. This is a consistent response to the dynamic evolution of threats in the so-called gray zone of threats, particularly in light of controlled migratory pressure and potential irregular actions by an adversary. The inclusion of allied forces, including NATO, in law enforcement and border operations should be viewed as a significant strengthening of deterrence and a political signal of readiness to respond jointly at an early stage of a crisis. A prime and recent example of a realistic risk scenario is the annexation of Crimea in 2014. This event marked the beginning of a shift in the understanding of the role of the armed forces of countries directly bordering Russia and Belarus.
Delays in U.S. arms deliveries to scandinavian and baltic countries
The United States has informed Norway of possible delays in the delivery of American-made weapons. Other Scandinavian and Baltic countries have received similar notifications. The cause of these issues is the ongoing conflict in the Middle East (the war with Iran), which is placing a heavy strain on U.S. stockpiles of weapons and ammunition. This was confirmed, among others, by Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, following a meeting of NB8 ministers in Estonia. The delays concern, among other things, ammunition for missile systems, including HIMARS—this has already been publicly confirmed by Finland and Estonia. Sweden has not yet received official notification of delays under the FMS program.
Delays in the delivery of U.S. weapons to the Nordic and Baltic countries are a worrying sign that exposes the limitations of the European security system. Although individual countries differ in their assessment of the scale of the risk posed by supply restrictions, the fact remains that it is difficult to replace U.S. systems with domestic or European alternatives. At the same time, the delays will affect those countries that have actually increased their defense spending and take the Russian threat most seriously.
Denmark signs contract for air defense system
In the second half of April 2026, Denmark signed a contract to purchase the Franco-Italian SAMP/T NG air defense system. This is the first major export contract for this system outside of France and Italy. Copenhagen’s decision is groundbreaking—Denmark, one of NATO’s most pro-American countries, has for the first time chosen a European medium-range system over the American Patriot. The SAMP/T NG system, manufactured by the Eurosam consortium (MBDA and Thales), is designed to provide protection against aircraft, cruise missiles, and short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. The first deliveries are scheduled for 2028. The contract may be part of Denmark’s overall air defense modernization program for the coming years, worth nearly 58 billion kroner.
In the second half of April this year, Denmark made a landmark decision by signing a contract for the French-Italian SAMP/T NG system as an alternative to the American Patriot system under consideration. This is the first export contract for this system and a clear signal of a move away from exclusive dependence on American equipment. The decision stems primarily from delivery delays from the U.S. caused by the conflict in the Middle East and the significantly faster implementation timeline for the European solution (2028). The Danish government’s decision can be viewed in the context of greater European defense autonomy.
News from the Eastern Flank Institute (IWF):
- Tomorrow in Warsaw, @Defence24Days, one of the most important conferences on security and defense in our region, kicks off. The Eastern Flank Institute is one of the event’s partners. On May 6 at 4:00 PM, we will present our latest report titled “WOT 2.0. The Return of Light Infantry to the Polish Armed Forces,” with the participation of the authors, including Grzegorz Matyasik.
We also encourage you to participate in other program items featuring representatives of the IWF:
- Panel discussion “Russia’s long war – projection of force toward Europe” – May 6, 2:30 p.m., featuring IWF Program Council Chair Michał Dworczyk;
- The panel discussion “NATO’s Adaptation in the face of strategic changes in Europe” – May 6, 3:45 p.m., featuring Tomasz Szatkowski;
- Panel discussion “R&D Implementation in the Polish Armed Forces – How to create an effective system?” – May 6, 3:45 p.m., featuring former Deputy Prime Minister Jadwiga Emilewicz;
- Panel discussion “Russian aggression against Ukraine. Technological and organizational implications for Poland and NATO” – May 7, 9:00 a.m., moderated by Maciej Korowaj, featuring former Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki;
- Panel discussion “Military mobility – in the air, on land, and at sea” – May 7, 10:15 a.m., moderated by Lt. Col. (Res.) Maciej Korowaj;
- Panel discussion “The consequences of the war in Ukraine for european security” – May 7, 10:15 a.m., moderated by IWF Director Piotr Woyke;
- Panels moderated by gen. Jarosław Gromadziński on the state of preparedness of protective infrastructure (May 6, 2:30 p.m.) and the prospects for the development of the Army (May 7, 1:00 p.m.).
