According to Reuters, South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace said on Wednesday it won a 1.38 trillion won ($1 billion) order from Romania to supply self-propelled howitzers. The deal is Romania's largest arms acquisition deal in seven years and includes 54 K9 howitzers, ammunition and 36 K10 resupply vehicles, South Korea's largest defence company by revenue said. The contract lasts until July 2029, Hanwha Aerospace said. The South Korean arms procurement agency, Defense Acquisition Program Administration, confirmed the details of the deal in a separate statement. Hanwha Aerospace shares rose more than 5% to a record high in early morning trade, versus a 0.1% drop in the wider market. Overseas orders for Hanwha have jumped since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as countries sought to bolster their arms with quick, reliable supply, analysts said. Hanwha's land defence business has seen its order backlog swell to about 30 trillion won at the end of March this year from 5.1 trillion won at end-2021. Analysts said South Korean defence firms are able to ship arms quickly with lower costs and provide continual maintenance partly due to the economy of scale from supplying the standing armed forces in South Korea, which is still technically at war with North Korea. Hanwha now holds more than 50% share of the global market for howitzer exports, according to data by NH Investment & Securities. "Given that the end of a war does not mean an end to the growth of defence spending, and that (U.S. presidential candidate Donald) Trump explicitly demanded that NATO and other European countries increase their share of defence costs, opportunities are expected to expand" for South Korean defence firms, said Meritz Securities analyst Lee Ji-ho in a note on Tuesday.
The Wrocław Baroque Ensemble, a resident ensemble of the National Forum of Music (Narodowe Forum Muzyki – NFM) in Poland, will present a series of concerts in Romania exploring rarely performed works from Polish composers. Since its establishment in 2012, the group has specialized in historically-informed performance of Polish Renaissance and Baroque music under the […]
Fewer and fewer Europeans strongly support democracy, according to a new poll by European Movement International and Savanta. Romania is among the countries with the lowest support for democracy, the same study showed. Published on Monday, July 28, the report highlights that people are disillusioned with democracy across Europe. Overall, only 36% are consistent supporters...
The Romanian delegation concluded its participation in the Balkan Senior Championships in Volos, Greece, with a total of 9 medals, out of which 4 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze. The gold medals were won by athletes Rareş Toader in shot put (20.74 meters), Alin Firfirică in discus throw (63.15 meters), Alina Rotaru-Kottmann in long […]
Romanian locomotive manufacturer Softronic Craiova has signed a contract with RS Lease Slovakia for the delivery of two Transmontana locomotives, which will be produced in the Craiova plant and delivered in the first half of 2026. The six-axle electric locomotives are designed for the demands of heavy freight transport, but are also adaptable to other […]
The Romanian heavy metal band Trooper returns to Sala Palatului on February 28, 2026, with the show “Regeneza,” a journey through its entire discography, along with special guest Blaze Bayley, Iron Maiden’s vocalist from 1994–1999. The concert is a transformation and a return to the spiritual roots of the band, according to lead singer Alin […]
Full Moon, the festival showcasing horror and fantasy films, will hold its tenth edition next month in Biertan, a village in Sibiu county known for its UNESCO-listed fortified church. The festival will present this year a program of 16 films, six of which are national premieres. The edition's headliner is Radu Jude's Dracula, an international […]
