Otokar, a Turkish defense contractor specializing in land systems, has delivered the first 14 COBRA II 4×4 tactical armored vehicles to Romania by sea as part of an armored vehicle export agreement, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday.
This delivery marks the initial phase of a defense contract between Turkey and Romania, under which a total of 1,059 COBRA II vehicles are scheduled to be supplied to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense. The vehicles were manufactured at Otokar’s production facilities in Sakarya, Turkey, and arrived in the Romanian city of Mediaș on Tuesday.
As part of the agreement, the vehicles will be equipped with Romanian-produced subsystems in line with an industrial cooperation plan.
The contract, signed with Romania’s state-owned procurement agency Romtehnica, is valued at approximately $972 million. It includes not only the delivery of the armored vehicles but also a logistics and support package. The process began in March 2024, when Otokar submitted a bid in an international tender. After technical and field evaluations, Otokar was selected in October, with the agreement finalized in November.
In April Otokar and Romania’s Automecanica S.A. formed a 50-50 joint venture to handle local production, engineering coordination, marketing and after-sales support in Romania.
In March, prior to forming the joint venture, Otokar also registered a wholly owned subsidiary in Romania to support its operational presence in the country.
According to the terms of the contract, 278 vehicles will be built in Turkey, while the remaining 781 units will be manufactured in Romania through the joint venture. This is the first instance of COBRA II vehicles being assembled outside of Turkey.
First introduced in 2013, the COBRA II is a 4×4 tactical armored vehicle used in various configurations. It has been sold to more than 20 clients across 13 countries in over 30 variants. Romania is the ninth European country to acquire the platform.
The Romanian order includes 10 mission-specific variants, including personnel carriers, reconnaissance units, anti-tank vehicles, mortar carriers, CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) reconnaissance units and armored ambulances. Some variants are equipped with remote-controlled weapons systems.
While the first shipment of 14 vehicles arrived this month, full-scale deliveries are set to continue over a five-year period starting in the final quarter of 2025.
The contract includes provisions related to industrial collaboration and local capability development. It also supports Romania’s modernization plans and reflects Otokar’s intent to expand its activities in NATO and EU member states.