Historic milestone in Otokar’s Romania project: The first Turkish armored vehicle produced within EU borders made its global debut at BSDA 2026. This step, which turns Romania into a production hub under a contract worth approximately €857 million, has physically showcased the Turkish defense industry’s local production and technology transfer capabilities for the first time at the BSDA exhibition.
The Black Sea Defense, Aerospace and Security Exhibition (BSDA 2026) in Bucharest is hosting a tangible development in Otokar’s local production process in Romania. After winning the tender opened by the Romanian Ministry of National Defense in 2024, the company delivered more than 270 vehicles produced in Türkiye under the contract. Now, the first vehicle completed on the local production line at facilities in Romania has taken its place on the show floor.
Goal of a Logistics and Production Hub
Otokar’s General Manager Aykut Özüner highlighted the significance of the COBRA II being the first Turkish armored vehicle produced within EU borders. He stated that they see Romania as a hub from which they will manage defense procurement processes across Europe. The aim is also to provide the Romanian army with armored vehicle production capabilities through NATO-standard manufacturing.
Other details about the company’s activities in the region and Otokar’s COBRA II production process in Romania also clearly demonstrate the project’s contribution to the local industrial landscape.
Other Platforms on Display
Among the other platforms on display at Otokar’s stand at BSDA 2026, the TULPAR and next-generation unmanned systems stand out. Alongside the TULPAR tracked armored vehicle, whose modular structure can be expanded from 28 tons to 45 tons to adapt to different mission profiles, an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is also on display at the show. Furthermore, this 6×6 platform, developed by a consortium including Romania’s BlueSpace Technologies and Türkiye-based Elektroland, features an infrastructure fully compatible with NATO systems. The UGV represents the capabilities offered in response to the Romanian Armed Forces’ requirement for a multipurpose unmanned ground vehicle.
Technical Features and Local Capacity
Sedef Vehbi, Deputy General Manager for Military Vehicles at Otokar, noted that through the consortium they have established, they aim to strengthen Romania’s defense industry ecosystem. In addition, they aim to build local capacity in unmanned systems.
The COBRA II, which is preferred by more than 20 users across 13 countries worldwide, has been configured to meet the specific technical and tactical needs of the Romanian army. Offering high mobility along with ballistic and mine protection, the vehicle can perform different roles. These range from personnel carrier to command and control.
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Source: C4Defence
