The agreement was concluded with the French Directorate General for Armaments (DGA) under the European Commission’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative.
“We are honoured that Romania has chosen the H225M to strengthen its defence capabilities. This selection will also bolster Romania’s industrial capabilities through our long-term partnership with IAR, Romania’s sole helicopter manufacturer,” said Matthieu Louvot, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.
This is the second contract signed by Romania with Airbus Helicopters under the SAFE initiative, following a recent order for seven H160 and five H145 helicopters intended for public-service missions.
In July, interim defence minister Radu Miruță announced the planned acquisition of the 12 H225M helicopters together with 12 Thales radars, Economica.net reported. He said at the time that the helicopters would interact with the IAR Ghimbav platform for localisation.
According to a July release from the Ministry of National Defence, the EUR 757 mln value includes the 12 helicopters, an initial logistics support package and personnel training.
The H225M has proven its reliability and durability in combat conditions and crisis areas around the world, Airbus said, adding that there are more than 350 H225s and H225Ms in service, totalling more than one million flight hours. The twelve H225M customers include Brazil, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Thailand.
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