Romania acquires 44 amphibious assault vehicles from the United States

Romania is expected to acquire 44 AAV-7 amphibious assault vehicles from the United States after the preliminary approval decision to initiate the procurement process was sent by Parliament to the Ministry of Defense.

The ministry had sought prior approval from Parliament as per legal procedures to begin the procurement process for the amphibious assault vehicles. The parliamentary defense committees approved this request on October 1st.

The estimated contract value is $270 million, excluding VAT.

The AAV-7 is an armored amphibious tracked vehicle designed to transport Marines and equipment from ship to shore and across hostile areas. It can carry up to 25 Marines and has a range of 300 miles on land and 20 nautical miles in water. The vehicle’s top speed is 72 km/h on the road, 32 km/h off-road and 13 km/h in the water. In terms of armament, the AAV-7 is equipped with a Mk 19 40mm grenade launcher or an M242 Bushmaster 25mm cannon, as well as an M2HB .50 caliber machine gun.

“By the decision of the Supreme Council of National Defense, the memorandum for the additional purchase of AAV-7 amphibious assault vehicles was approved. According to the request, this is part of the implementation of the equipment plan of the Romanian Army,” says the address from the Defense Committees to the Permanent Offices, quoted by TVRInfo.

The document further states that the acquisition aims to ensure tactical domain survivability, greater mobility, better situational awareness and increased firepower. In addition, this procurement is part of the Army Transformation Program, which is scheduled to be completed by 2040 and will adapt the Romanian Army to NATO standards.

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(Photo source: dod.defense.gov)