Thousands attend Romania’s National Day celebrations at home and abroad
A novelty was the parade of 500 soldiers from 21 NATO member or partner countries.
Articol de Radiojurnal, 02 Decembrie 2019, 15:10
Thousands of people attended Romania’s National Day (1 December) celebrations at home and abroad. As each year, Bucharest’s national military parade on Sunday in the Arch of Triumph has been the highest point of attraction for visitors waving flags and colored balloons. Military parades also took place in all cities of the country.
President Klaus Iohannis saluted the Guard of Honor and laid a wreath at the Arch of Triumph. As the national anthem was playing, 21 cannon shots were fired.
About 4,000 soldiers from the Defense Ministry (MApN), Interior Ministry (MAI), Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and National Penitentiary Administration (ANP) marched on, including 500 soldiers from over 20 NATO member or partner countries, showcasing about 200 pieces of defense hardware and over 50 aircraft.
Opening the parade were aircraft of the Air Force, Defense Ministry, and Romanian Intelligence Service. These included IAR 330 Puma SOCAT helicopters of the Army, Mil Mi-17 of the Interior ministry, supersonic F-16 and MIG 21 LanceR fighter jets, and subsonic fighter jets - IAR 99, C27J Spartan and C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, and a MApN AN 30aircraft for aerial photography and mapping.
Stars of the land defense hardware parade were, as in every previous parade, the TR85M1 Bizon tanks, as well as also the Piranha 3 armored carriers. Also passing through the Arch of Triumph were HUMVEE combat vehicles, MLI84M Jderul infantry combat vehicles, Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft gun systems, LAROM multiple rocket launchers, HAWK ground-to-air missiles, as well as other components of the MApN, MAI, SRI defense systems.
A novelty was the parade of 500 soldiers from 21 NATO member or partner countries - Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Croatia, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and the US. A Polish detachment paraded five Rosomak armored personnel carriers.
The land defense parade began with period flags, and continued with a performance by members of the Military Tradition Association, a group for historical and military reenactments, the formations of foreign partners, representative MApN, MAI, SRI, ANP departments, ending with soldiers of the 30th Mihai Viteazul Brigade.
At the end of the parade, the military vehicles were displayed for the public.
Source:RRA,Agerpres
