Romania’s Defense Ministry signs on Friday the contract for buying 227 Piranha 5 armored fighting vehicles (AFV) from U.S. group General Dynamic.

The acquisition was approved by Government decision in November last year. The total value of this contract amounts to EUR 895 million. The contract provides that the first 30 vehicles will be delivered from Switzerland and the next 187 will be assembled at the Uzina Mecanica Bucuresti military equipment factory.

Besides the Piranha 5 acquisition, the Romanian state also has a partnership with German group Rheinmetall for developing and producing in Romania a new model of amphibious armored vehicle, called Agilis 8X8. The project will be developed at Uzina Mecanica Moreni by a Romanian-German joint venture in which the state will hold a 50% stake. Some 400 such vehicles should be produced for the Romanian Army starting 2020.

The Defense Ministry has also signed a contract with Italian group Iveco for the purchase of 173 military trucks, the Italian company announced on Thursday. The trucks will be delivered this year. Iveco hasn’t disclosed the value of this contract.

editor@romania-insider.com