Lt. Gen. Teodor Incicas, a defense minister official in charge of military public procurement, has announced that Romania intends to buy at least one battalion of US-made Abrams main battle tanks. Speaking in an interview published by the Romanian Defense Ministry journal Observatorul Militar on Tuesday, Incicas said the acquisition plan is working its way through the parliamentary approval process.
"We are in the process of sending our (ministry) request for preliminary approval to acquire a battalion of Abrams tanks," Incicas said, adding that the country plans to buy the tanks produced by U.S. defense contractor General Dynamics. The timeline for the purchase was not clear.
A typical U.S. armored battalion consists of between 50 and 60 tanks. Countries close to Russia, such as Poland and Finland, are also purchasing U.S.-made weapons and looking to speed up existing contracts. Romania's acquisition of Abrams tanks is expected to strengthen its military capabilities in the region.
As of today, the main battle tanks of the Romanian Armed Forces are the TR-85M1 Bizonul and the TR-85M1M Bizonul.
The TR-85M1 Bizonul is an upgraded version of the Soviet T-55 tank, which was extensively modernized in the 1980s by Romanian engineers. It features a new engine, improved armor, and a modernized fire control system. The tank is armed with a 100mm gun, a 7.62mm machine gun, and a 12.7mm heavy machine gun.
The TR-85M1M Bizonul is a further upgrade of the TR-85M1, with improved armor protection and a new fire control system. It is also equipped with a thermal imaging system for improved targeting in low light conditions. The tank is armed with the same 100mm gun, 7.62mm machine gun, and 12.7mm heavy machine gun as the TR-85M1.
Source: Defence Blog
