Romania buys 12 H225M helicopters to replace old Pumas

Romania has signed a contract for 12 Airbus H225M Caracal military helicopters, the first step in replacing the Romanian Air Force’s aging fleet of locally built IAR-330 Puma helicopters, Airbus Helicopters said on October 7.

The deal was concluded through France’s defense procurement agency, the DGA, and is financed under the European Union’s Security Action for Europe, or SAFE, loan program. Romania’s defense ministry said in July that its purchase order for the helicopters, including initial logistics support and crew training, is worth about €757 million (about $848 million), within a total approved SAFE project budget of €852 million (about $954 million).

Airbus said the H225Ms will start replacing the Pumas in both conventional and special operations roles. The first helicopter is due 38 months after the order was signed, Romanian news outlet HotNews reported.

“We are honoured that Romania has chosen the H225M to strengthen its defence capabilities. This selection will also bolster Romania’s industrial capabilities through our long term partnership with IAR, Romania’s sole helicopter manufacturer,” said Matthieu Louvot, chief executive of Airbus Helicopters.

The H225M is the military version of Airbus’ largest Super Puma family helicopter, a twin-engine medium-heavy transport used for troop transport, search and rescue and special operations. Airbus says more than 350 H225s and H225Ms are in service and have flown more than 1 million hours. Romania becomes the 13th H225M customer, joining Brazil, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Singapore and Thailand.

Romania’s state-owned IAR plant in Brasov license-built the Pumas the H225M will replace, starting in the 1970s. The defense ministry plans to buy about 30 more helicopters after 2030 from its national budget, a deal of roughly €2 billion (about $2.24 billion) meant to move H225M production to Brasov, HotNews reported from the ministry’s SAFE procurement list.

The order is Romania’s second with Airbus Helicopters under SAFE. In June, the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs ordered seven H160 and five H145 helicopters for emergency response, civil protection and public order missions. Romania also ordered two H215M helicopters in a naval configuration in 2023.

SAFE provides low-interest EU loans for member states to buy defense equipment quickly from European industry. Romania’s allocation is €16.6 billion, the second-largest among the countries that applied, and the H225M deal was approved by the Romanian parliament as part of a wider package that also includes Lynx infantry fighting vehicles and Piranha 5 armored personnel carriers.