Romania’s Ministry of Defense plans to purchase 150 more Piranha 5 8×8 infantry fighting vehicles for the armed forces later this year.
Developed by General Dynamics’ Swiss subsidiary Mowag, the Piranha 5 is the latest iteration of the company’s flagship Piranha family of vehicles introduced in the 1970s.
The Piranha 5 was unveiled in 2010 and commissioned into service five years later. In Romania, more than 200 Piranha 5s have been operational since 2020.
The vehicle weighs 60,000 pounds (27,216 kilograms), measures 26 feet (8 meters) long, and can seat up to eight passengers.
It is protected by a 14.5-millimeter to 25-millimeter resistant armor, while its main armaments vary from a 12.7-millimeter machine gun, a 30-millimeter autocannon, a 120-millimeter mortar, or an anti-tank missile launcher.
The Piranha 5 is powered by an MTU or Scania engine with up to 644 horsepower for a top speed of 62 miles (100 kilometers) per hour and a range of 340 miles (547 kilometers).
Romania’s Defense Investments
The move is part of an 8-billion-euro ($8.3-billion) investment that Bucharest will utilize in fiscal 2025 to bolster its military capabilities.
The investment serves as the government’s follow-up on its 10-billion-euro ($10.4 billion) expenditure last year for defense resource modernization, local news agency Mediafax reported.
Among the largest of the country’s ongoing acquisitions is a $6.5-billion project to procure 32 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets from the US, with deliveries planned through the 2030s.
The government is also adopting K9 Thunder 155-millimeter howitzer systems from South Korea, with shipping expected from 2027 to 2029.
Another investment is for over 1,000 Turkish-made Cobra II light-armored tactical vehicles. Approximately 280 platforms in this contract will be provided to Bucharest’s armed forces in 2025, while the rest will be distributed until 2029.
