Otokar and Automecanica form joint venture to produce COBRA II armored vehicles in Romania

Otokar, the defense systems division of Turkish industrial giant Koç Group, has entered into a joint venture with Romanian defense company Automecanica S.A. to locally produce COBRA II 4x4 armored vehicles for the Romanian Ministry of National Defence. The move marks a significant step in the implementation of the “1059 COBRA II ATBTU” project, a multiyear defense procurement contract signed with the Romanian authorities.

The newly established joint venture will handle the production, engineering, marketing, and post-sale services for the vehicles, with each partner holding a 50% stake.

Approximately 800 of the total 1,059 COBRA II vehicles will be manufactured at Automecanica’s facility in Mediaș. The remaining units, 278, will be produced in Turkey, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2025 and continue over the following five years.

“As part of our ongoing project in Romania, we are pleased to announce the signing of the agreement to establish our new joint venture company, which will produce the legendary COBRA II vehicles in Romania. This milestone represents one of the key steps in Otokar’s global expansion strategy,” said Aykut Özüner, CEO Otokar.

Sedef Vehbi, Head of Otokar’s Military Division, reiterated the company’s long-term commitment to Europe and noted that Romania will become a strategic hub for Otokar’s European operations.

The joint venture was created following Otokar’s successful bid in a competitive tender initiated by C.N. Romtehnica S.A. for the acquisition of light tactical armored vehicles. The contract, signed on November 27, 2024, is worth RON 4.26 billion and includes integrated logistics support.

The COBRA II, a modular and multi-role armored vehicle platform, has been in service for over two decades and is used by more than 20 customers in 13 countries.

With this new agreement, Otokar aims to solidify its presence in Europe, while Romania advances its defense manufacturing capabilities and reinforces its national security infrastructure.

(Photo source: Otokar)