Romania seeks to increase the size of its army by 35 thousand people

In the next 4 years, the Romanian army needs to recruit an additional 35,000 recruits to counter a possible Russian attack.

This was stated by Marcel Ciolacu, Prime Minister of Romania.

The Romanian Armed Forces are seeking to increase the number of active military personnel in their army from 81,000 to 100,000 over the coming years. It is also about increasing the number of volunteer reservists, which currently stands at 79,000.

“Dismissal from the army and the perception of a military career as less attractive is observed almost everywhere. We aim to increase the size of the Romanian Armed Forces, expanding to 100,000 soldiers in the Romanian army in the near future,” said Marcel Ciolacu.

He also notes that the security of the Black Sea region and Eastern Europe is unstable due to Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine:

“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues to affect the stability of the Black Sea region between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. These challenges require a unified and coordinated response, and our country plays a key role.”

According to the Romanian newspaper Adevarul, as of 2023, the Romanian Armed Forces personnel numbered only 72,037 out of a staff of 80,000. At the same time, the specialized portal globalfirepower.com claimed that as of 2024, the country’s army had only 67,000 active military personnel and 50,000 in the reserve, but these figures have not been officially confirmed.

One of the key reasons for the shortage of personnel is numerous dismissals, lack of active recruitment among young people, and heavy competition with the private labor market.

To address the shortage of personnel in the armed forces, the Romanian Ministry of National Defense has simplified admission to higher military institutions for the training of officers and non-commissioned officers by eliminating entrance exams.

Romania has also increased funding for its armed forces by 12% to $2.24 billion compared to last year’s budget, which made it possible to increase personnel salaries. The salary for new recruits is RON 6,000 ($1370), and with experience and seniority – up to RON 9,000 ($2060).

At the same time, Romania is also actively arming itself. In recent years, the country’s government has signed a number of key contracts for the supply of fifty K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery systems, the same number of Abrams tanks, and more than a hundred Piranha V armored personnel carriers. The air force will also receive a major boost with contracts for 32 F-35 fighter jets.

The government has also opened tenders for the selection of a future infantry fighting vehicle, as well as the purchase of 41 short- and medium-range air defense systems.