Romania’s IAR Brașov exploring industrial cooperation with Airbus for H225M multi-role helicopter
Romanian helicopter producer IAR Brașov (BVB: IARV) and French aviation giant Airbus held an “Industry Day”-type event and a B2B matchmaking session on March 12 to explore cooperation opportunities related to the H225M multi-role helicopter project for Romania, within the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) program.
The event brought together key suppliers in the aerospace and defense sector from France and Romania in Ghimbav, Brașov county. Participants engaged in targeted B2B sessions, aimed at ensuring technical alignment and identifying synergies in specialized areas such as aerostructures, electronics, and engine components.
Talks focused on facilitating direct dialogue between Tier-1 suppliers of the Super Puma model and Romanian companies to assess potential business transfers, localized production, and long-term maintenance support for this model.
Although the transition to the H225M platform introduces new technical requirements, the objective remains the development of a robust local ecosystem capable of supporting the future fleet of the Romanian Armed Forces with high availability and local expertise. Romania has EUR 16.68 billion in soft loans allocated by the European Commission through the SAFE program to start its largely defunct defense industry.
“Romania is a strategic country for us,” said Georges Durdilly, general manager of Airbus Helicopters in Romania. “We are ready to expand our activity here, creating high-tech jobs and a solid supply chain that will serve both Romania and the global market. In the case of the H225M project, the cornerstone of our commitment to Romania, full industrial cooperation will be implemented following an order of 42 units,” he said, according to the press release.
The collaboration between the Romanian and French aerospace industries dates back to the 1970s, initiated by the licensing of the Alouette 3 and Puma helicopters. These aircraft established a national legacy for Romania through IAR Brasov.
“The H225M is the natural successor to this legacy. Our industrial foundation is ready for the next generation of production,” said Marian Rasaliu, general manager of IAR.
IAR Brasov is a leading Romanian aerospace company with a proud history of aircraft production stretching back beyond 1952 to the early days of aviation. At present, IAR Brașov is a MRO specialized unit for Puma and Alouette III helicopters.
(Photo source: Airbus.com)
