Moldova and Romania to Jointly Buy 2,971 Iveco Military Vehicles

Moldova and Romania are jointly procuring around 3,000 Iveco military vehicles through SAFE

Romania and the Republic of Moldova will carry out a joint procurement of Iveco military vehicles under the European SAFE programme (Actions for the Security of Europe). The project involves the acquisition of 2,909 vehicles for the Romanian army and 62 vehicles for the Republic of Moldova.

Radu Oprea

Add Logos Press as a preferred source on Google

Romanian Defence Minister Radu Oprea emphasised that the partnership is of strategic importance for the security of both states in the context of the threats posed by the war in Ukraine and the increasing number of drone incidents near the borders, according to tvrinfo.ro.

“The security of the Republic of Moldova also means the security of Romania. Together, we must work and cooperate at all levels, from exchanging information and developing our joint capabilities to countering the threat posed almost daily by drones,” the minister stated.

The official highlighted three key components of the agreement: security, military cooperation and the development of Romania’s industrial capacity.

According to Radu Oprea, this is the first time Romania has coordinated such a joint procurement project under the SAFE programme in partnership with Moldova.

The vehicles will be built on the Iveco platform, a model which the minister described as mature and already included in the Romanian army’s procurement programme.

The joint procurement will improve coordination between the two armies and facilitate cooperation, including in terms of logistics.

Another key objective of the project is to develop the defence industry in Romania. The Minister clarified that the platforms will be manufactured in Romania itself, at the Iveco plant in Dâmbovița County, and that the production capacity already in place will also enable the export of military equipment.

“The fact that we have invested, the fact that we have developed production capacity in Romania, shows that today we are already in a position to become exporters in the security sector, exporters of competitive equipment,” said Radu Oprea.

The Minister also emphasised that the partnership will help to strengthen cooperation between Romania and the Republic of Moldova in both the defence sector and the field of regional security.

The agreement marks a new phase in military cooperation between the two countries, to be implemented through joint procurement, information exchange and the development of interoperable defence capabilities.

This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.

How did this story make you feel?