Romania To Procure $120 Million Worth of Amphibious Assault Vehicles And Equipment From The US
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced that the US Department of State has approved a $120 million foreign military sale to Romania for the purchase of 21 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs) in various variants and related equipment. According to the agency, the required certificate and related documents for this potential sale were submitted to the US Congress on July 27, 2023.
The potential sale includes 16 AAVP-A1 vehicles in armored personnel carrier configuration, 3 AAVC-7A1 vehicles in command configuration and 2 AAVR-7A1 vehicles in recovery configuration. The package also includes sixteen 13.7mm heavy machine guns, five 7.62mm M240B machine guns, MK-19 Grenade Launchers, M36E T1 Thermal Sighting Systems (TSS), supply support (spare parts), support equipment (special mission kits), training, technical manuals, technical data package, engineering and technical support and assistance program, and logistic support.
According to a statement issued by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the United States Department of State, “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Ally which is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe. It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist Romania in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability.” The agency also stated that the proposed sale will improve Romania’s ability to deal with current and future threats, and that Romania will have no difficulty incorporating such equipment and services into its armed forces.
The approval of arms sales by the State Department simply means that the sale is not a concern for the US administration. If the US Congress does not object to the Department’s decision within 30 working days, the administration will begin negotiating the contents of the sales package with the Romanian government, and procurement will take place. If the US Congress does not object to the sale, Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAVs) and related equipment will be delivered to Romania in about a year. The vehicles will be assigned to the Romanian Navy’s 307th Marine Infantry Battalion (Regimentul 307 Infanterie Marină Heracleea).