This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Mine-hunter vessels the HMS Blyth and Pembroke will be bought by Romania to increase the security of the Black Sea Romania will buy two Sandown-class Mine Counter Measure Vessels (MCMV) from the Royal Navy it was announced on 28 September by the UK Government’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) body The move is in concert with Nato’s efforts to bolster its naval presence among littoral states in the Black Sea a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  the presence of drifting mines has emerged as a pressing concern posing a direct threat to both the Black Sea states and the crucial sea lines of communication.  Romania, a crucial Nato ally, is set to make a substantial impact on the maritime security of the region through the upcoming sale which holds the potential to empower Romania with a direct and positive role in safeguarding the waters The Sandown-Class MCMVs use high-definition sonar technology and dedicated clearance diver teams to survey the seabed in search of mines and lost explosives either by  clearance diving teams or by the advanced ATLAS Seafox mine disposal system The vessels also aide in the security of the maritime lines of communication which are essential to international shipping and the world economy Romania still operates a mix of Eastern Bloc-era Cold War equipment with its modern Nato -standard western equipment and efforts are ongoing to modernise its stock but while it spends a significant proportion of its overall GDP on defence in real terms this does not afford the country major procurements of large vehicle fleets according to GlobalData’s ‘Romania Defencse Market 2023-2028’ report and many Romanian acquisitions are of a small scale with a trend towards second-hand systems instead like the purchase of the Sandown-Class vessels announced this month.  Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis The HMS Blyth was transferred to the Romanian Navy during September, while the HMS Pembroke, which was decommissioned in 2021, is expected to be delivered next Spring. Work to refurbish the vessels has been conducted by the Ships Support Team and Babcock.  The Royal Navy will replace the ships with autonomous mine-hunting systems operated from a mothership recently bought from a Norwegian company as a commercial vessel.  DESA has recently concluded several noteworthy minehunter sales recently with Lithuania  acquiring the HMS Quorn and Estonia buying the first-in-class HMS Sandown while maritime contractor Harland & Wolff has obtained HMS Atherstone These sales mark a significant development for the UK naval force posture as it divests itself of a long-standing maritime approach to security in favour of autonomous systems DE&S still has two former Royal Navy minehunters available for purchase Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Bison bred in UK and Irish zoos to be released in Vanatori Neamt Nature Park in Carpathian Mountains Half a dozen rare European bison bred in captivity in the UK and Ireland have been sent to Romania to be reintroduced into the wild European bison were driven to extinction in the wild by the early 20th century as a result of hunting and destruction of their habitat Captive breeding programmes in European zoos and reintroductions have led to a gradual increase in numbers and the project in Romania aims to establish a self-sustaining population there and boost the variety of wildlife in the region Reintroductions have already established free-ranging and semi-free herds in Poland The six female captive-bred bison from Port Lympne and Howletts Wild Animal Park, Kent, Highland Wildlife Park, Inverness-shire, and Fota Wildlife Park, Cork, Ireland, were transported to Vanatori Neamt Nature Park in Romania's Carpathian Mountains. The bison will be monitored with radio-collars and will become part of an existing herd of European bison introduced to the park from captive populations in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. The move of the six bison was carried out by the Aspinall Foundation in collaboration with the wildlife parks, and in partnership with the Vanatori Neamt Nature Park, the European Bison breeding programme and European Wilderness Society. Adrian Harland, animal director for Port Lympne Wild Animal Park said: "Following our involvement in the Aspinall Foundation's ground-breaking reintroduction projects in Africa, it is great to be able to continue our conservation efforts here in Europe by reintroducing a species that was once tragically made extinct in the wild." Douglas Richardson, head of living collections for Highland Wildlife Park, said: "This project is an example of how zoos within the European Zoo Association's co-ordinated breeding programmes are helping save species from extinction and I am delighted Highland Wildlife Park's female bison Glen Rosa will be playing her part in the continuing reintroduction of a species that had become extinct in the wild less than a century ago." Sean McKeown, park director for Fota Wildlife Park, said: "It's great to see two young bison we have reared form part of this important reintroduction programme for this species that was once extinct in the wild in Romania." An Irish wildlife park has played a key role saving Europe’s largest land mammal from extinction. They have been monitored using radio-collars as they roamed through the Vanatori Neamt Nature Park since their arrival there last Wednesday a vast mountain range spanning six countries including Romania The Carpathians is the last relatively unspoiled area of this size in Central and Eastern Europe and provides an important refuge for many rare and endangered species The captive-bred bison have joined an existing herd of European bison who were introduced into the park from captive populations in Germany it was announced that the reintroduction of the latest arrivals has been a complete success The overall project aims to re-establish a viable and self-sustaining population of European bison and increased biodiversity in the region Fota Wildlife Park worked on the conservation project with the Aspinall Foundation and animal parks in the UK including Highland Wildlife Park in Inverness Port Lympne and Howletts Wild Animal Parks in Kent said they were delighted to be involved in the project “It’s great to see two young bison we have reared form part of this important reintroduction programme for this species that was once extinct in the wild in Romania.” he said Fota Wildlife Park sent its first European bison back to the wild to Bialowieza National Park in Poland where their descendants are roaming through the Bialowieza Forest.” European bison were driven to extinction in the wild in the early 20th century as the result of habitat destruction and severe hunting Through the captive breeding of the species in European zoos and a series of reintroduction projects the population has gradually begun to increase and the International Union for Conservation of Nature subsequently reclassified European bison as endangered The translocation of the bison has been made possible by a partnership between the Aspinall Foundation From as little as €1 a week with our digital introductory offer Already a subscriber? 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