Romania is advancing plans to procure two light corvettes from Rheinmetall, with the vessels set to be built locally at the Mangalia shipyard.
The ships will be derived from Rheinmetall Naval Vessels Lürssen’s Multipurpose Modular Offshore Patrol Vessel (MMPV) 90 design and will serve as a key element of Romania’s naval modernization initiative under the EU-supported Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defense investment framework.
According to Romanian outlet HotNews, around 836 million euros ($980.8 million) has been allocated to begin construction of the two corvette-class vessels.
Romanian officials emphasized that the configuration of the future ships will differ from Bulgaria’s recently ordered corvettes, despite both programs being based on the German MMPV platform.
Rheinmetall’s MMPV 90 measures 90 meters (295 feet) in length with a 14-meter (46-foot) beam and can accommodate up to 70 personnel.
The vessel is powered by twin engines producing 8,900 horsepower each, enabling speeds above 20 knots (37 km/h or 23 mph) and an operational range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,556 kilometers).
The platform features a flight deck and hangar capable of supporting helicopters and unmanned aerial systems, along with facilities for deploying two rigid-hull inflatable boats.
Romania’s planned configuration includes a Thales sensor suite featuring multifunction radar, the TACTICOS combat management system, electronic warfare systems, and both hull-mounted and towed sonars for anti-submarine operations.
Armament options include a 76mm OTO Melara naval gun, a 35mm Oerlikon Millennium close-in weapon system, and a 21-cell Rolling Airframe Missile launcher for air defense, with torpedo launchers, decoy systems, and potential future integration of Naval Strike Missiles also expected.
