The error in the Army modernization program and details about Romania's most expensive military purchase. How many battle tanks does the Army actually buy and which European manufacturer is in pole position

The number of infantry fighting vehicles (MLI), tracked armored vehicles for the Land Forces, is actually much higher than the one officially presented in the press conference through which the Government detailed the procurement programs from the SAFE funds, intended for the modernization and military equipment of Romania until 2030.

• SAFE (Security Action For Europe) is a credit program with a total budget of 150 billion euros, designed by the European Union to strengthen the European defense industry and make the European defense system more solid, in the short term, until 2030.

In the conference held on Monday at the government, the Minister of Defense, Radu Miruță, presented the list of the 21 military procurement projects worth approximately 9.6 billion euros, representing the largest part of the total 16.6 billion euros of SAFE funds allocated to Romania.

Among all procurement programs, one stands out for its value – 2.9 billion euros, that is, almost a third of the total funds allocated to military procurement.

Almost 300 tracked armored vehicles for the Land Forces, not 200, as announced by the Government

MApN wants to use this money to buy armored combat vehicles – infantry fighting vehicles (MLIs) – to equip the Land Forces in place of the current MLI-84M “Jderul”, which have reached the end of their life.

In the document presented to the government, on the list of projects it appeared “Tracked infantry fighting vehicle – MLI – 198 vehicles – 2.983 billion Euro”.

The figures, however, do not correspond to those publicly communicated previously and for which the Parliament had given approval to the MApN. More precisely, in 2023, Parliament approved the “Tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle – MLI” program, which consisted in the purchase of 298 vehicles with a total value estimated at 2.99 billion euros.

MApN sources confirmed to HotNews that the document with the SAFE programs contains an error and that, in fact, the MLI program assessed at SAFE funding for 2.983 billion euros actually targets the purchase of 298 MLI vehicles, and not 198, as it appeared in the initially presented list.

How much local production will MApN be able to get?

Other authorized sources explained to HotNews that the purchase of armored vehicles through SAFE will not be made according to the procedure announced last summer by MApN and that, in fact, the project regarding the purchase conditions published in 2025 has not even been translated into an adopted Government Decision.

That procedure stipulated that 246 vehicles would be purchased for €2.55 billion, with local production starting from the 27th vehicle.

Now, for the SAFE program, the condition of localization of production will be preserved, but the degree of transfer of technology and production in Romania will depend a lot on the negotiations that MApN and the Ministry of Economy will have with the manufacturer that will present the best offer.

Rheinmetall, in pole position with the KF-41 Lynx

HotNews industry sources show that the main competitor is the German group Rheinmetall, which acquired the Automecanica Mediaș SRL plant and which, at the end of last year, signed an industrial cooperation agreement with Romania.

In our country, Rheinmetall has been announced to deal with the production of powders and ammunition, other projects remaining at the level of intention for the time being.

In the MLI contract, Rheinmetall submitted a bid to the Ministry of Defense for the KF-41 Lynx tracked armored vehicle, the most modern armored fighting vehicle in the German company's portfolio.

The KF-41 Lynx, developed since 2015, is a tracked armored vehicle weighing up to 50 tons that can carry a crew of three soldiers plus eight passengers. Powered by a 1,140 HP engine, the armored vehicle reaches a maximum speed of 70 km/h.

The KF-41 Lynx model proposed for Romania comes with the Lance 2.0 turret with 30 mm MK30-2/ABM cannon and Spike LR2 anti-tank missile launcher, as well as other optical and detection systems, as well as active and passive protection systems.

The issue that may arise in the discussion with Rheinmetall is related to the location of production, given that the German company already has a factory in the area, in Hungary, where it has signed a contract for 218 KF-41 Lynx armored vehicles from 2020.

In the draft GD published last year, MApN emphasized that locating the production of numerous elements of the vehicle in the country is an “essential security” interest.

Two other companies still interested in the Romanian MLI program

Other HotNews industry sources say that the company General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) also intends to enter the discussion and that it will make an offer to Romania for the ASCOD MLI. GDELS owns the Swiss company Mowag, which produces in Romania, at the Bucharest Mecabică Plant, the 8×8 Piranha 5 armored cars (also financed by SAFE in a new contract of almost 760 million euros for 139 vehicles).

GDELS will propose to Romania the ASCOD tracked armored vehicle, which it presented last years in Bucharest, relying on the fact that it already has a production facility located in the country through UMB and that there is a degree of “communality” – of shared parts and systems – with Piranha 5.

The best example is the UT-MK30 turret on the Piranha 5, produced by Elbit right in Romania and which can equip the Ascod MLI, including a variant with a Spike anti-tank missile launcher.

And the South Koreans at Hanwha, from whom Romania buys the K-9 Tunet self-propelled howitzers, still hope to get the contract for the MLI, even though SAFE is dedicated to eligible companies in Europe.

Hanwha hopes, say HotNews sources, to convince the authorities in Bucharest and the European Commission that, through the company Hanwha Aerospace Romania through which it will produce K9 howitzers in Petrești, Dâmbovița, is actually a Romanian company and that it can offer a very high degree of localization of production for the Redback armored fighting vehicles.

The Redback MLIs also have the advantage of having some parts similar to the Romanian K9 howitzer, but also that they can also come with the Elbit turret with a 30 mm cannon that is found on the Piranha 5 and is already produced in Romania.