Romania plans to buy AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters

[Zarvan]

Photo by Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
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By Dylan Malyasov -
Aug 9, 2017
276
Romania’s defence ministry has signed a letter of intent on price and availability regarding the acquisition of attack helicopters from US manufacturer Bell Helicopter, the Romanian government said on Thursday.

The letter of intent will be addressed to the US government.

Under the plan, the U.S. manufacturer is to establish a joint venture with a subsidiary of the country’s state-owned defense group Romarm to produce copters in Romania. The designed plant is expected to produce AH-1Z Viper twin-engine attack helicopters. The value of the planned contract was not disclosed. That was reported by defensenews.com.

“This decision will have a considerable direct impact on the economic development of our country, being at the same time a generator of security in the area,” the government said.

The intention to purchase attack helicopters is based on the arms procurement plan recently approved by Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence, CSAT.

The AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter entered service with the United States Marine Corps in 2011. It is currently operated in some of the world’s harshest conditions and is environmentally hardened to resist severe weather conditions. The AH-1Z Viper shares 85% commonality of major components with Bell Helicopter’s UH-1Y Venom utility rotorcraft, enhancing deployability and maintainability, while reducing training requirements and the logistical footprint between the two platforms and ultimately lowering total life cycle costs in terms of acquisition, operations, maintenance and support.

The AH-1Z is equipped with the most accurate, longest range helicopter sight available. The Viper’s Targeting Sight System (TSS) from Lockheed Martin provides a crucial advantage by allowing the pilot to positively identify and track multiple enemy targets at ranges beyond the maximum range of its weapons system in order to acquire and destroy enemy targets.


http://defence-blog.com/news/romania-plans-to-buy-ah-1z-viper-attack-helicopters.html

 

[Otonom Piyade]

Interesting... There was a time Turkey made a request to purchase Super Cobra's 10 years ago to tackle immediate needs to combat terror, but US was reluctant to sell out of its inventory.

 

[flamer84]

Macron is coming on the 24th and with offers ,and especially requests, for Super Pumas, Exocets and naval,land Mica's.

 

[Gomig-21]

Macron is coming on the 24th and with offers ,and especially requests, for Super Pumas, Exocets and naval,land Mica's.

Why would you want Pumas?

If the goal is to acquire an effective attack helo, then you should stick with this Viper or something equivalent. The Super Puma is barely a step up to the 60 SA330 SOCATs you already have and is really only a mildly armed utility and transport helo. Heck the Mi-17 is a transport utility and is probably better armed than the 330.

If the idea is to have a dedicated attack helo, the Super Puma is not the way to go, and you don't need more transport helos. The Viper is one of the top 5 attack helos and can even act as a naval asset flying off of decks like it does for the USMC.

The only fighters you have are the 35 MiG-21 Lancers and what, 9 or 10 ex-Portuguese F-16A's with 2 more coming? It would make even more sense to go the American Viper with more F-16's coming and the Lancer bound to be retired sometime in the next decade and then you'd have more American tech in the arsenal.

 

[flamer84]

Why would you want Pumas?

If the goal is to acquire an effective attack helo, then you should stick with this Viper or something equivalent. The Super Puma is barely a step up to the 60 SA330 SOCATs you already have and is really only a mildly armed utility and transport helo. Heck the Mi-17 is a transport utility and is probably better armed than the 330.

If the idea is to have a dedicated attack helo, the Super Puma is not the way to go, and you don't need more transport helos. The Viper is one of the top 5 attack helos and can even act as a naval asset flying off of decks like it does for the USMC.

The only fighters you have are the 35 MiG-21 Lancers and what, 9 or 10 ex-Portuguese F-16A's with 2 more coming? It would make even more sense to go the American Viper with more F-16's coming and the Lancer bound to be retired sometime in the next decade and then you'd have more American tech in the arsenal.

The new Pumas would replace the 330 in our transport fleet as transport helicopters not attack ones.They are needed as the 330's are old machines and they are manufactured in Romania which contributes to the economy

36 new F16's will come by 2022.

 

[Gomig-21]

The new Pumas would replace the 330 in our transport fleet as transport helicopters not attack ones.

Ah, that makes sense then.

They are needed as the 330's are old machines and they are manufactured in Romania which contributes to the economy

Yeah I read that. They'll probably end up doing the same if they agree on the Pumas.

With the signed letter of intent, it sounds like it should be a done deal. Best thing they did to this thing besides arming it to the teeth is going from the 2-blade rotors of the classic Cobra/Huey & Super Cobra to this 4-blade design.

 

[Penguin]

Doesnt romania licence produce the puma Already?

 

[flamer84]

@Vergennes looks like today is France's turn....MoU would be signed for Vshorad and shorad defence systems from MBDA with production and ToT in Romania .Mistral,VL Mica?

Doesnt romania licence produce the puma Already?

This is the newer version, Super Puma

 

[Vergennes]

@Vergennes looks like today is France's turn....MoU would be signed for Vshorad and shorad defence systems from MBDA with production and ToT in Romania .Mistral,VL Mica?

http://www.economica.net/romania-franta-rachete-elicoptere-mbda-airbus_142492.html

Still nothing on French press,I'll update you if there's more details.

 

[flamer84]

http://www.economica.net/romania-franta-rachete-elicoptere-mbda-airbus_142492.html

Still nothing on French press,I'll update you if there's more details.

Well,they've signed 3 documents:

1.Something about strengthening the EU, whatever that means
2.Airbus and IAR
3.MBDA signed a MoU with Electromecanica Ploiești regarding production of "Ground Based Air Defence Systems "

 

[Vergennes]

@flamer84

Honestly,I think Macron was more there to talk about difficult subjects such as the "hot",posted worker directive rather than signing deals. Romania's President agreed that the directive needed to be improved,but without expressing clear agreement with Macron. He got the support of several western and central European nations,however things will be difficult,if not impossible with the likes of Hungary,Poland and Romania.

 

[flamer84]

@flamer84

Honestly,I think Macron was more there to talk about difficult subjects such as the "hot",posted worker directive rather than signing deals. Romania's President agreed that the directive needed to be improved,but without expressing clear agreement with Macron. He got the support of several western and central European nations,however things will be difficult,if not impossible with the likes of Hungary,Poland and Romania.

What about multinational Western companies who externalise their profits so as to not pay their taxes in here? Everyone has to give something. ...

Many Western banks don't pay profit tax because they say that no profit is made, when,in reality, the money flows to their headquarters in Western Europe as "capital flows,"....etc.

@Vergennes, Anyway, Romania is open to discussions, that's why Macron is in here and not Poland, Hungary, whose positions are out rightly belligerent towards him.We just want a fair deal.

 

[Vergennes]

@flamer84

https://twitter.com/x/status/900737648221978625

 

[Penguin]

This is the newer version, Super Puma

I got that. I'm just saying that Romania isn't starting from scratch and from a services/logistics point of view it may make good sense to choose this.