Romanian Parliament has approved the acquisition of 12 Airbus H225M Caracal helicopters from Airbus Helicopters in a deal valued at 852 million euros ($999.57 million).
The helicopters will partially replace Romania’s aging fleet of 57 Puma helicopters, originally produced under license by Industria Aeronautică Română during the 1970s. The procurement will be financed through the European Union’s SAFE funding mechanism in cooperation with the French defense procurement agency.
The agreement also includes an option for up to 30 additional helicopters after 2030 through Romania’s national defense budget, potentially involving a combination of Airbus H225M Caracal and Airbus H215M variants, according to Opexnews.
Lawmakers also approved the purchase of 12 air surveillance radars worth approximately 258 million euros ($303 million). Although the radar type has not been officially disclosed, reports suggest the systems could be Thales Ground Master 200 radars.
The measures form part of a broader 8.3-billion-euro ($9.74-billion) military modernization package. Under the plan, Rheinmetall will provide 232 KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles valued at 2.6 billion euros, with an option for 66 more units.
Rheinmetall was also selected to deliver Skynex, Skyranger 35, and Oerlikon Millennium air defense systems. Meanwhile, the Romanian arm of General Dynamics European Land Systems will assemble 139 Piranha 5 armored personnel carriers under an 831-million-euro SAFE-backed contract. Romania ultimately plans to field 359 Piranha vehicles, with 220 deliveries scheduled after 2031.
