Aurel Cazacu: "If the Russians attack us, we only have ammunition for two or three days"

The defense industry in our country does not produce as much as it is needed, and this fact leaves us exposed to an armed attack from Russia, military expert Aurel Cazacu, former director general of Romarm, told us.

Aurel Cazacu told us: "In the next 3-5 years we are exposed to Russia. I tell you that if the Russians attack us, we only have ammunition for two or three days, which is very serious. The request addressed to Cugir (ed. - Uzine Mecanice Cugir - ammunition factory) is 100 million cartridges per month and they only produce 5 million due to outdated technology. Although some state-owned companies in the defense industry are working at full capacity, this full activity is caused by the small number of staff and the reduced number of production lines. These factories each employ less than 1,000 people and thus have orders for the next two years, although several years ago they served this number of orders in only three months."

The military expert believes that the measures taken by the Government to equip the Romanian Army are delayed and that the import idea is still being pursued, given that at the European level companies are faced with a very large number of ammunition orders and are unable to fulfill them honor

Mr. Cazacu pointed out: "In my opinion, even if we are under the umbrella of NATO, we must equip ourselves militarily, because that endowment has three purposes: deterring the enemy, increasing the confidence of the population and economic development. When we bring in new weaponry, we have to train a team of people to maintain and operate that weaponry, but also teams for the repair side, for the service side, and for the cooperation side, to finally take the offset operation to the manufacture of those weapons in our country. I believe that there is a need for a national company, at the government level, subordinated to the prime minister, because we are talking about the defense of the country. Especially at a time when we have a Minister of the Economy, who is a specialist in tourism, when there is no longer a Secretary of State for the defense industry within the Ministry of the Economy. The only good thing was done by the Ministry of National Defense which drew up endowment plans for 10 years".

The former head of the Romarm company also said that all 15 plants subordinated to this company must have managers recruited based on the law of corporate governance, and not on political criteria.

Aurel Cazacu stated: "Currently one is declared publicly and another happens in reality at the boards of directors of the Romarm factories, where there is no military expert or former officer, which seems unacceptable to me. Only people who have different positions at the local level were put in those administrative boards, there are also about 8 drivers of some county council presidents, teaching staff from the cities, who have no competence in this field and who participate in the meetings just to raise his hand and take his allowance. In Romarm, there is an urgent need in a first stage of investments of 100 million euros, through which the subordinate companies will be equipped, based on an efficient and high-performing plan. When the respective companies will develop, they will produce primarily for the Romanian Army and then they will also focus on export, because the additions and profit on armaments are very high at these times. For example, in the current ammunition crisis, it costs 30 cents to produce a cartridge, but it can be sold for $5 a piece."

The military expert believes that the economic recovery of Romania can be done through the defense industry: "To produce everything needed for the armaments industry - substances for powders, gaskets, components, oils for military vehicles and other things necessary for aircraft maintenance or manufacturing ammunition -, the creation of a horizontal industry is needed. In vain we want to make ammunition, if the powder factory that will be built in Victoria is not ready, because of two or three people who are interested in importing powders from other neighboring states".

That is why Aurel Cazacu claims that a strategy is needed in which the activity of state companies in the defense industry is complemented with that of private companies in this field, stating that only on the basis of the partnership between these companies will it be possible to retechnology and modernize the 15 production capacities in Romarm's heritage.