President Nicușor Dan vows robust defence budget on Army Day at Borcea base

President Nicușor Dan marked Army Day with a speech delivered from Romania’s Air Base 86 in Borcea, where he lauded the armed forces for embodying discipline, duty and sacrifice. He recalled the recent downing of two hostile drones over Romanian airspace, commending the pilots’ precision. Dan reaffirmed the nation’s security framework built on the strategic partnership with the United States and NATO membership, promising to keep a solid defence budget as pledged to the alliance.

He emphasized that a strong army depends on a modern, competitive economy, citing the SAFE programme that drives both military equipment acquisition and the growth of the domestic defence industry. The president also praised the European F-16 Training Center at Borcea as a regional hub for joint pilot training with allied forces. Finally, he thanked Spanish NATO partners and other allies for their ongoing air-policing contributions.