In May, the Romanian Parliament approved the country’s purchase of 54 “modernised” M1A2 Abrams tanks from the United States for a total cost of around one billion euros. The Romanian military will be able to equip a battalion as a result of this fully. However, Bucharest’s goals go far beyond achieving this primary purpose alone.
According to an estimate provided by the newspaper Adevărul and attributed to the retired general Călin Tomescu, the Romanian army would require 250 M1A2 Abrams, which would be equivalent to five battalions, to replace its ageing T-85M1 Bizonul tanks. Having said that, this assessment was not sufficient at all.
At a symposium on industrial defence cooperation between Romania and South Korea on July 7, General Teodor Incicaş, the Romanian General Directorate of Armaments director, stated that around 300 additional combat tanks are desired.
General Incicas did not elaborate on whether or not the 54 M1A2 Abrams had been included towards this tally in his statement. However, there is no guarantee that the other tanks the Romanian army wishes to purchase will be manufactured in the United States.
General Incicas just reiterated that the goal of Romania is to provide its armed forces with the most technologically advanced military equipment currently available on the market and to ensure that this equipment will continue to function properly throughout the entirety of their service lives.
Given that he made his remarks at an event hosted by the South Korean defence sector, it is not out of the question that Romania, like Poland, will decide to arm itself with K-2 “Black Panther” tanks that Hyundai Rotem produces. Particularly noteworthy is that the K-9 Thunder cannon is a good option for outfitting the Romanian artillery regiments.
On the other hand, it is possible that the K-2 “Black Panther” is not the sole competitor. In light of the recent trip that Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu took to Berlin, where he met with executives from the German arms sector, the Leopard 2A8 might be in the running. This is particularly relevant when taking into account the trip mentioned above.
It is anticipated that Romania’s military expenditures will reach 2.5% of GDP as early as 2023, providing the country with the resources necessary to accomplish its objectives.
