The Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched a procurement procedure for modern technical systems to detect and monitor maritime drones. The decision was made following an incident in early June at the port of Constanța, when a sea drone reached the Romanian coast and self-detonated. The new systems will operate within the Coast Guard, which is part of the Border Police. Their main task will be the timely detection of unmanned maritime systems and continuous monitoring of the Black Sea area.
In the first phase, the Romanian side will conduct a technical demonstration of the TRITON autonomous system. It is designed for long-term maritime patrol missions and operates exclusively on solar and wind energy, without requiring fuel or a crew on board.
The tests will be coordinated by Coast Guard specialists in cooperation with other relevant state agencies.
The Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized that the goal of the testing is to identify the most effective means of protecting the country’s territorial waters from potential security threats. All trials will be conducted without risk to civilian shipping and with full safety measures in place.
The decision was prompted by an incident on June 5 in the port of Constanța. A maritime drone entered the port area and exploded. Before the detonation, authorities evacuated more than 3,000 people, preventing casualties and serious damage.
Following the incident, the Ukrainian side stated that it had warned Romanian counterparts about uncontrolled maritime drones. Meanwhile, Romania’s acting defense minister, Radu Miruță, said that information about the drone was received shortly before the explosion.
The introduction of new detection systems is intended to enhance maritime safety and ensure rapid response to potential threats in the western Black Sea region.
It should be noted that after the incident in Constanța, Romania stated that it is necessary for Ukrainians to program their maritime drones in such a way that, in case of loss of control, the coordinates of the device would not allow it to enter their territorial waters, and that it should self-destruct at 12 nautical miles.
