Romania signs €1 billion defence deal with France for helicopters and radars

Romania and France concluded a defence procurement agreement valued at about €1 billion. The package includes twelve Airbus H225M multi‑role transport helicopters, estimated at €757 million, and twelve Thales Ground Master 200 air‑surveillance radars, valued around €247 million. The deal is financed through the European Union's SAFE programme and is executed under a joint‑purchase procedure coordinated by France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) as the ordering authority.

The agreement provides logistics and training support for both systems, marking the first use of the French FASt acquisition framework for these types of equipment. The acquisition strengthens Romania’s NATO capabilities on the alliance’s eastern flank and deepens industrial cooperation between Bucharest and Paris.