French group Airbus Helicopters has signed an exclusive cooperation agreement with the Romanian aircraft producer IAR Brasov (IARV), a company in which the state holds a stake of 64.5%, to produce in Romania the H215M multirole helicopter, a heavy, twin-engine aircraft.

According to the agreement, IAR will become the prime contractor for any possible order of H215M helicopters that Romania’s Defense Ministry could make to replace its old fleet.

“We are proud to have signed this general agreement that results from almost 50 years of cooperation between IAR and Airbus Helicopters," said Neculai Banea, general manager of IAR.

The Romanian aircraft producer IAR has built about 360 helicopters under license due to the successful partnership with Airbus Helicopters, Banea added.

In September 2016, Airbus inaugurated in Ghimbav its new helicopters factory in the presence of the French President Francois Hollande and former Prime Minister Romanian Dacian Ciolos. The factory will produce the H215 helicopter.

At the beginning of this year, the officials of Airbus Helicopters said that a contract with the Romanian state is essential to start the production at the new plant in Ghimbav, which has a maximum capacity of 15 helicopters per year.

editor@romania-insider.com