Romania Reviews Otokar COBRA II Production at Mediaș Plant
Romania’s defense minister inspected COBRA II production at Otokar’s Mediaș plant as deliveries under the €857 million program reached 290 vehicles.
Romanian Minister of National Defense Radu-Dinel Miruță has inspected Otokar’s Mediaș manufacturing facility, where serial production of COBRA II 4x4 tactical armored vehicles is underway for the Romanian Armed Forces. Otokar reported that 290 vehicles have now been delivered under Romania’s 1,059-vehicle procurement program, giving the visit a direct link to one of Bucharest’s largest current land-force modernization projects.
The visit is the first at ministerial level since Turkish land systems manufacturer Otokar completed its acquisition of 96.77% of Automecanica S.A. and established the Mediaș site as its first manufacturing facility in Europe. The plant is now central to both Romania’s COBRA II program and Otokar’s wider industrial presence inside the European Union.
Romania tracks progress on 1,059 COBRA II vehicles
Miruță and the Romanian delegation reviewed the COBRA II serial production line and received information on manufacturing processes established at Mediaș. According to Otokar, production and deliveries are proceeding under the program, with 290 vehicles delivered as of the ministerial visit.
Romania signed the contract through state-owned procurement company Romtehnica in November 2024. The agreement covers 1,059 COBRA II 4x4 tactical armored vehicles and has a value of approximately €857 million excluding VAT.
The original production plan assigned the first 278 vehicles to Otokar facilities in Türkiye, while the remaining 781 were to be manufactured in Romania. The structure made domestic production and industrial participation a significant component of the procurement rather than limiting the program to imported vehicles.
Mediaș becomes Otokar’s first European production facility
The industrial structure behind the program has changed substantially since Romania awarded the contract. Otokar initially established a joint venture with Automecanica in April 2025 to manufacture COBRA II vehicles and support engineering, marketing and after-sales activities in Romania.
Otokar then signed an agreement on April 29, 2026, to acquire a 96.77% stake in Automecanica for approximately €85 million. The acquisition was subsequently completed in June, according to the company, giving Otokar direct control of the Mediaș manufacturing operation.
The first Romanian-produced COBRA II came off the Mediaș assembly line in early May 2026 and was displayed at the Black Sea Defense & Aerospace exhibition in Bucharest from May 13 to 15. Janes reported that the Romanian contract covers 11 vehicle variants and that localization requirements have required industrial capabilities including armored-steel processing at Mediaș.
Otokar began deliveries of Romanian-built vehicles to the Romanian Armed Forces in July. The August ministerial inspection therefore comes after the program moved from establishing local production capacity to delivering serially manufactured vehicles.
COBRA II program expands Romania’s armored vehicle capacity
The Mediaș investment gives Romania a domestic production base tied to a fleet of more than 1,000 tactical armored vehicles. Beyond assembly, Otokar has previously identified engineering and after-sales activities as part of its Romanian industrial structure, potentially giving the country a local base for supporting the fleet throughout its service life.
For Otokar, Mediaș also provides an industrial position inside the European Union at a time when European governments increasingly connect defense procurement with local manufacturing capacity and supply-chain resilience. The approximately €85 million acquisition shifts the company’s Romanian presence from a contract-specific partnership toward ownership of a permanent European manufacturing asset.
The plant also adds another armored-vehicle production operation to Romania’s developing land-systems industrial base. Continued delivery performance and the extent of Romanian industrial participation will determine how much of the COBRA II program’s value remains embedded in the domestic defense sector.
Questions about Romania’s COBRA II program
How many COBRA II vehicles has Romania ordered?
Romania ordered 1,059 COBRA II 4x4 tactical armored vehicles from Otokar under a contract signed in November 2024. The contract is worth approximately €857 million excluding VAT.
How many Romanian COBRA II vehicles have been delivered?
Otokar reported during Defense Minister Radu-Dinel Miruță’s August 2026 visit that 290 vehicles had been delivered under the program.
How many COBRA II vehicles will be produced in Romania?
The contract allocated the first 278 vehicles to production in Türkiye and the remaining 781 to production in Romania. Local manufacturing is centered on Otokar’s Mediaș facility.
Who owns the Mediaș COBRA II factory?
Otokar completed the acquisition of 96.77% of Automecanica S.A. in June 2026 after agreeing to pay approximately €85 million for the stake. The facility became Otokar’s first manufacturing plant in Europe.
