Romania Acquires First Warship In Three Decades For 220 Million Euros

Romania bought its first warship in almost three decades from Turkey for 220 million euros.

The Hisar-class vessel, named “Rear-Admiral August Roman” (pennant number 261), is fitted with Turkish weapons and subsystems, including a 76 mm Denizhan naval gun.

The development comes decades after Romania failed to modernise its naval fleet as domestic shipbuilding projects failed.

A 2019 contract with France’s Naval Group for 4 Gowind corvettes did not go forward due to financial constraints and other issues.

Bucharest then ultimately decided to buy ships from foreign manufacturers.

The vessel’s handover ceremony took place at the Istanbul Shipyard Command and was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Romanian President Nicușor Dan.

This delivery is Turkey’s first export of a naval platform to an EU and NATO member state.

Romanian officials said that this deal supports the country’s defence investment strategy and enhances security in the Black Sea region, amidst increased attacks and maritime disruptions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

It also offers a unique solution to reinforcing NATO’s presence in the Black Sea.

While nations like the United States and the United Kingdom push for a stronger Allied naval footprint, Turkey wants to preserve the Montreux Convention, which limits the access of non-littoral warships through the Turkish Straits.

By heavily equipping a littoral ally like Romania, NATO strengthens its position without having to risk the delicate balance governing access to the sea.

The ceremony also shows Turkey’s rapidly growing defence industry and coincided with the commissioning of the Turkish Navy’s own second Hisar-class offshore patrol vessel, the TCG Koçhisar.

This deal highlights Turkiye’s expanding capacity to rebuild its own fleet and deepen military ties within the NATO alliance through defence exports and shipbuilding agreements.