Romanian Defence Minister Nicolae Ionel Ciucă said the first party of 36 Piranha V 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicles will be delivered to the Romanian Armed Forces within days of testing. Romania, which signed an agreement with General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) for 277 Piranhas in 2018, would receive the first 36 platforms by the end of 2018. After a delay in the deal, Bucharest demanded a delay fee of €8.5m from General Dynamics in 2019. GDELS announced the start of production of the vehicles the following month.
Under the agreement, 197 of the Piranha V's are produced under license at the Uzina Mecanică Bucurešti plant in Bucharest, along with technology transfers.
The new armoured vehicles, which will replace the Soviet-era platforms in Romanian inventory, will be delivered in six different configurations.
Piranha V's, with a modular armour structure specially developed against improvised explosive devices and mines, provide high ballistic protection.
211216-N-QI061-1222 NAVAL STATION MAYPORT, Fla. (December 16, 2021) An MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), assigned to Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 (VUP-19), sits on the flight line at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Dec. 16, 2021. VUP-19, the Navy’s first Triton squadron, will continue to maintain and operate the aircraft off the East Coast to further develop the concept of operations and refine tactics, techniques, and procedures. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan T. Beard/ Released)