The Romanian government signed a contract for the procurement of 12 Airbus H225M helicopters. This agreement was concluded with the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) within the framework of the European Commission's Security Action Plan for Europe (SAFE). The financial instrument aims to enable European Union member states to make urgent and substantial investments in the defense industry, accelerating defense preparedness and addressing critical capability gaps.

Airbus Helicopters has been operating in Romania for over 20 years through three business divisions. The company provides support and services to the existing air fleet in Romania while also conducting operations for various export customers. The Airbus Defense and Space division delivers turnkey secure communications and systems engineering services through its engineering department, while the commercial aircraft business unit handles strategic component manufacturing. This broad operational structure demonstrates Airbus's regional industrial presence and expertise.

The H225M represents a multirole helicopter platform offering high performance and versatility. The platform can be employed in conventional and special operations, cargo transport, search and rescue, medical evacuation, and air support missions. The system possesses the capability to operate in challenging weather conditions and at high altitudes. The Romanian Air Force indicated that these 12 helicopters will replace its existing Aerospatiale-licensed domestically produced IAR-330 Puma fleet for conventional and special operations. Romania previously ordered 2 H215M helicopters in a maritime configuration.

The H225M platform has accumulated extensive operational experience in combat conditions and crisis zones worldwide. More than 350 H225 and H225M helicopters are currently in service, reaching over one million flight hours combined. The platform operates in twelve customer nations including Brazil, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Thailand. This extensive customer base demonstrates the system's reliability and operational effectiveness.

This contract represents the second agreement between Romania and Airbus Helicopters under the SAFE initiative. The recent procurement of 7 H160 and 5 H145 helicopters for public service missions demonstrates the scope of Romania's aviation infrastructure modernization strategy. Airbus Helicopters CEO Matthieu Louvot expressed pride in Romania's selection of the H225M for strengthening defense capabilities, emphasizing that this choice will also strengthen the country's industrial capabilities through long-term partnership with IAR, Romania's sole helicopter manufacturer.