The National Defence Ministry announced on Thursday that it has taken over the first COBRA II armoured vehicles produced in Romania, at Medias.
The RON 4.263 billion (or approximately EUR 852 million VAT excluded) multi-year contract with Otokar for the delivery of 1,059 COBRA II light tactical armoured vehicles in nine configurations - the basic version and eight derivatives was signed on November 27, 2024, following a procurement procedure carried out under Government Decision No. 1,489/2022 under the "Light Tactical Armoured Vehicles" acquisition programme, the Ministry said in a statement.
As of May 14, 276 COBRA II vehicles had been received. They were delivered to beneficiaries between December 20, 2025 and March 10, 2026, according to Agerpres.
Series production of COBRA II vehicles in Medias began in 2026, with the first 12 vehicles fully manufactured in Romania delivered to the Army in July.
For this year, 216 vehicles produced in Medias are scheduled for delivery, including four new configurations, and more than 780 vehicles of the total 1,059 ordered are to be manufactured in Romania by the end of the contract.
"This is an important moment for equipping the Romanian Army and for developing the national defence industrial and technological base. The objective assumed by Allied states at the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague regarding increased defence investment is reflected in the strengthening of the defence industrial and technological base. This means not only delivering modern equipment to the Romanian Army, but also technological transfer, advanced know-how, the creation of modern production capacity on national territory and the generation of highly skilled jobs," the Ministry said.
According to the same source, equipping the Romanian Army means more than acquiring military hardware - it means "investments that strengthen the country's security, develop the national defence industry and contribute to increasing Romania's strategic resilience."
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