Otokar opens a branch in Romania

Turkish military land systems manufacturer Otokar is opening a subsidiary in Romania called Otokar Land Systems SRL, after winning a massive contract on the local market late last year.   Otokar, Turkey’s leader in the export of such land systems, won the Romanian Ministry of Defense’s tender for 1,059 4×4 armored vehicles. In November, Otokar and Romtehnica, the latter representing the Ministry of National Defense, signed a multi-year contract worth 4.26 billion lei (approximately 857 million euros) for the supply of 1,059 COBRA II light armored tactical 4×4 vehicles to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense.   According to the contract, the majority of the COBRA II 4×4 vehicles will be manufactured locally in Romania. On November 27, 2024, Otokar signed the contract by which the Romanian Ministry of National Defense awarded the company the supply of 1,059 COBRA II light armored tactical 4×4 vehicles at a value in Euro equivalent of approximately 857 million excluding VAT. According to the contract, the first 278 COBRA II light armored tactical 4×4 vehicles will be produced in Turkey, and the remaining 781 will be manufactured in Romania. Deliveries are planned to be made in batches over 5 years, starting with the last quarter of 2025.   The tender also includes some integrated logistics support services, in addition to the 1059 light armored tactical 4×4 vehicles. Otokar submitted, on March 20, 2024, the bid in the procurement procedure for light armored tactical 4×4 vehicles, initiated by the company C. N. Romtehnica S.A., as a representative of the Ministry of National Defense.   Following the successful completion of the qualification, technical evaluation, testing and evaluation stages of the financial offer, on October 4, 2024, Otokar was notified that it had been declared the winner of the procurement procedure. The COBRA II 4×4 tactical armored vehicle, produced by Otokar, is actively used by over 20 users in 13 countries.