The US State Department has approved the possible sale of 95 Heavy Gun Carrier Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) and equipment to Romania.
The $104 million sale is in addition to a previous $43.73 million sale of 34 JLTVs, for a total procurement of 129 Oshkosh vehicles.
“The proposed sale will improve Romania’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing a credible force that is capable of deterring adversaries and enhancing its participation in NATO operations,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency wrote in a statement.
$1 Billion JLTV Procurement Plan
The purchase is part of the Romanian government’s multi-year contract to procure over 1,000 JLTVs for 4.58 billion Romanian lei ($980 million).
“The approved specific procedure is aimed at awarding a multi-year contract for the supply of 1,059 ATBTUs (JLTVs) in nine configurations — one basic variant and eight derivative types, necessary for the armament of the structures of the Ministry of National Defense,” Remix News quoted a Ministry of Defense press release in December 2022.
Bucharest began beefing up its defense preparedness after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including purchasing 32 F-16 aircraft from Norway for $385 million and two Scorpene diesel-electric attack submarines from France.