Romania’s Ministry of National Defense has requested approval from Parliament to initiate the procurement process for 150 Piranha 5 armored personnel carriers, reports on Romania-insider.com. The cost of purchasing these vehicles is estimated at USD 674 million.
The program includes the purchase of 150 Piranha 5 armored personnel carriers, logistical support, and specific training equipment for the Romanian Army’s transformation program until 2040. The Permanent Committees of Parliament have decided to send the Ministry’s request to the defense committees to prepare the necessary documentation, according to Digi24.
Let us remind that, in January 2018, as part of the Romanian Army’s plans to modernize its legacy wheeled armored vehicle fleet, GDELS signed a contract with the Romanian Ministry of Defence to deliver up to 227 Piranha 5 armored vehicles in six different configurations. With production progressing as planned, over 60 locally produced Piranha 5 vehicles were delivered by GDELS to the Romanian Army after the program was launched.
The estimated costs of the purchase amount to USD 674 million, with real prices varying depending on the economic conditions at the time of signing the procurement contract, as stated by the Ministry of National Defence, Radu Dumitrescu reports. The vehicles will be produced in Romania, according to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between CN Romarm SA – the branch of Societatea Uzina Mecanică Bucureşti SA, and General Dynamics European Land Systems-Mowag GmbH.