DefMin, meeting in Berlin with representatives of Rheinmetall, Lokheed Martin and Airbus

  The minister of Defence, Angel Tilvar, appreciated the recent acquisition by the German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall of the majority of shares of the Automecanica Medias company at a meeting with the company's representatives, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) informs.As part of the participation in the Aeronautics Exhibition - ILA 2024, in Berlin, minister Tilvar had, on Wednesday and Thursday, a series of working meetings with the representatives of some international companies from the defense industry, present at the exhibition event.Wednesday's meeting with the representatives of the Lockheed Martin company was "a good opportunity for the Romanian side to emphasize the importance of the collaboration between the American company and the Ministry of National Defense for the achievement of the goals of equipping and modernizing the defense capabilities of the Romanian Army," MApN states.Minister Tilvar highlighted the two industrial cooperation projects that Lockheed Martin has undertaken in Romania, within the two national maintenance centers that were established within the Aerostar SA Bacau company, for the F-16 aircraft and for the HIMARS systems. Angel Tilvar recalled that Romania has already taken "important steps in the program of purchasing F-35 aircraft, also produced by Lockheed Martin, which will be implemented by agreement between the governments of Romania and the United States".The Romanian minister emphasized that this acquisition program, "the most important in the history of the Romanian Army, ensures not only the provision of the Romanian Air Force with V-generation aircraft, but also creates opportunities for industrial cooperation in a high-tech field for Romanian relevant companies, urging the representatives of the Lockheed Martin management to analyze the possibilities of expanding cooperation in this segment as well".Also on Wednesday, the minister also met with the representatives of the Airbus French company, an important manufacturer in the aerospace field present in Romania. The discussions focused on the role of the defense industry as a suitable solution to the increased requirements of military capabilities of the allied states in the current security context. Angel Tilvar emphasized the tradition of Romanian military aviation's cooperation with the French company and expressed his appreciation for the investments and involvement of Airbus in the relevant market in our country, especially through the cooperation with the national industry in the line of maintenance, repair, overhaul and modernization of helicopters.