Airbus Helicopters has signed an agreement with Romanian state-owned company, IAR Brasov, to produce the H215M multi-role helicopter in Romania.
Under the exclusive cooperation agreement, IAR will become the prime contractor for the H215M for any order by the Romanian Ministry of Defense to replace their ageing fleet in the future.
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Airbus Helicopters Europe head, senior vice-president Olivier Michalon said: “This agreement is an important milestone in the construction of a European defence partnership.
“We are convinced that this relationship will last another 50 years and that the H215M will correspond perfectly to the needs of the Romanian armies.”
IAR Brasov general director Neculai Banea said that the company has built around 360 helicopters under licence from Airbus Helicopters, which has been present in Romania for over 15 years.
Airbus Helicopters Romania is the company’s established customer centre, while Airbus Helicopters Industries is a 10,000m² factory based in Brasov.
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By GlobalDataInaugurated in 2016, the factory will house production of the H215 in Romania.
The Airbus Helicopters-built H215M is a 9t-class rotorcraft equipped with a full glass cockpit, modern avionics and a rugged fuselage that includes high-energy absorption landing gear.
Capable of carrying a crew of up to 24 troops for transport missions, the helicopter has enough space to accommodate a variety of armament and it can operate in hot temperatures and at high altitudes.
The armament qualified for H215M attack missions include pod-mounted 20mm cannons, 68mm rocket launchers and side-mounted rapid-fire machine guns, according to the company.
IAR Brasov offers a wide range of services, such as maintenance, repair and upgrade of military helicopters and supply of spare parts for customers worldwide.
Image: The Airbus Helicopters-built H215M is a 9t-class rotorcraft equipped with a full glass cockpit and modern avionics. Photo: courtesy of Airbus Helicopters.
