Deliveries of the COBRA II 4x4 tactical wheeled armored vehicles, entirely produced in Romania, to the Romanian Armed Forces have begun.
A new phase has been reached in the 1059-unit Romania COBRA II project, which is the Turkish defense industry's largest armored land vehicle export.
Following the delivery of vehicles produced in Turkey, the first COBRA IIs manufactured at the facility in Mediaș, Romania, were presented to the Romanian Armed Forces.
With the start of mass production, Otokar's Automecanica Mediaș facility became the company's first production center in Europe. Romania has thus gained the capability to carry out all stages of 4x4 armored vehicle production.
More than 780 of the 1059 COBRA II vehicles ordered by Romania will be produced in Mediaș within 5 years. Approximately 300 vehicles have been delivered so far in the project. The delivery of 216 vehicles, including 4 new variants, is planned for 2026.
Facility to support new export opportunities
Yusuf Fettahlıoğlu, General Manager of Automecanica Mediaș, announced that deliveries of Romanian-produced COBRA II vehicles have officially begun. Fettahlıoğlu stated the following in his remarks:
"This investment provides significant long-term gains for Romania beyond the production line, in terms of advanced manufacturing know-how, technology transfer, and engineering capabilities. The Mediaș facility will not only meet the needs of the Romanian Armed Forces but will also become a regional land systems hub capable of supporting future export opportunities within NATO and European Union defense programs."
Not just assembly, but an integrated production process
Automecanica Mediaș is Otokar's first production center in Europe. Production standards from Turkey are also applied in Mediaș.
The Mediaș facility, spanning approximately 140,000 square meters, boasts NATO-standard infrastructure and modern production equipment. With this facility, Romania has acquired an industrial infrastructure capable of carrying out all stages of 4x4 armored vehicle production.
Mass production in Mediaș provides skilled employment in the region. Approximately 100 new employees have been hired recently; the production team has exceeded 300. Otokar's total number of employees in Mediaș is expected to approach 400 in a short time.
Since 2013, the COBRA II has been preferred by more than 20 users in 13 countries. Among these are over 600 vehicles operating within NATO. The COBRA II operates in 30 different variants across various parts of the world.
Otokar produces different variants for Romania, such as personnel carriers, reconnaissance vehicles, remote-controlled weapon system (RCWS) integrated personnel carriers, CBRN reconnaissance vehicles, and ambulances.
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