Leonardo and Avioane Craiova will pursue an opportunity to offer the Italian airframer’s M-345 and M-346 jet trainers to the Romanian air force.
Announced at the Paris air show on 18 June, the partnership is eyeing a need to replace Romania’s fleet of domestically-produced IAR-99 jet trainers.
“This approach would facilitate the establishment of local maintenance, sub-assembly, logistic and support capabilities, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the Romanian air force’s fleet,” Leonardo says.
Additional benefits for the nation’s defence industry would include “opening new opportunities for technological cooperation, skills development, and high-value employment”, it adds.
Leonardo notes that with the eastern European NATO nation to become a future operator of the Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighter, its products would represent a “proven solution for the task” of supporting the type’s introduction.
Roughly 100 M-346s are in service with seven air forces, and at the International Flight Training School at Decimomannu air base in Sardinia, with an enhanced Block 20 version currently in development. Leonardo’s M-345 also is in operational use with launch customer Italy, supporting pilot training activities at its Lecce-Galatina air base.
Bucharest last year detailed a planned acquisition of 32 of the US-built fighters, with options on another 18. Its air force currently operates a fleet of Lockheed F-16s.
Aviation analytics company Cirium records the Romanian air force as having 20 IAR-99s in operational use, with those assets aged between 23 and 37 years. As well as trainers, that total also includes examples in the C-model light-attack version.
Avioane Craiova in December 2023 rolled out the first of 10 aircraft to be brought up to a modernised IAR-99SM training standard, with the activity using avionics equipment from Israeli company Elbit Systems. The work is intended to enable the type to remain in use for at least another decade.
The technological and industrial cooperation agreement signed between the company and Leonardo also will cover modernisation activities for the C-27J tactical transports already flown by the Romanian service.
Romania has a seven-strong fleet of C-27s, with the type fielded from 2010.
Leonardo says the pact aims to localise “activities related to the C-27J avionics upgrade programme, maintenance and logistics, repairs and personnel training”.
“This important modernisation programme, which encompasses new state-of-the-art systems integration, as well as training activities, would guarantee a significant industrial return, also paving the path for future industrial programmes, aimed at progressively building a reliable C-27J regional industrial hub in Avioane Craiova,” it states.
