Sursa foto: Inquam Photos
Defense Ministry (MapN)will allocate 3.7 billion lei from its own budget to buy, starting next year, light armored vehicles that it needs for internal use, but especially for external interventions, according to a draft Government Decision approving the Note of Fundamentals and the circumstances of the purchase.
The armoured vehicles are of the light type, modelled on the well-known TABs, but of a new generation, and MapN argues that it has a great need for them “in view of the international security environment as well as the diversity of situations in which it is possible to intervene with troops”. Another reason would be that the existing fleet of such vehicles is morally worn out and Romania needs to bring itself up to the standards required by NATO. Moreover, only NATO-compatible armoured vehicles will be purchased, in translation, from a manufacturer in a NATO member country. This purchase is included in the Romanian Army’s 2021 – 2031 equipment plan, for which, as we already know, the Romanian state has committed to its American partners to allocate a minimum of 2% of GDP.
In total, 1,059 armoured vehicles will be purchased over a five-year period, of which 881 will go to the Land Forces, 22 to the Air Forces, 16 to the Naval Forces, 49 to the Joint Logistics Command, 40 to the Defence Staff/Strategic Command and 51 to the Special Operations Forces Command. Details of the requirements for the vehicles concerned, their capabilities and use can be found in the document published on the SGG website.
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“For the Romanian Army, it is fundamental for the development of Romania’s defense capability to introduce Light Tactical Armoured Vehicles, hereinafter referred to as ATBTU, with high performance, for which the manufacture of some components is carried out on Romanian territory. Also, the manufacture, integration and maintenance of ATBTUs during their lifecycle must be carried out by economic operators in the national defence industry, who are able to carry out these activities in crisis or war situations”, Army representatives state.
The future agreement has an offset component, i.e. part of the contract is to be a contribution to the Romanian economy by defense industry operators. MApN claims that the award of this contract is conditional on the transfer of technology, so that, from the 27th vehicle onwards, production will be local.
Romanian light armoured vehicles have so far been used externally in Iraq and Afghanistan.