Romanian Armed Forces want to purchase at least one battalion of US-made Abrams main battle tanks, a defense minister official in charge of military public procurement said on Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Teodor Incicas said Romania intends to buy the vehicles for a battalion, adding that the plan is working its way through the parliamentary approval process.
His comments came in an interview published Tuesday by the Romanian Defense Ministry journal Observatorul Militar. He said the country intends to buy Abrams tanks produced by U.S. defense contractor General Dynamics.
“We are in the process of sending our (ministry) request for preliminary approval to acquire a batallion of Abrams tanks,” lieutenant general Teodor Incicas was quoted saying by defense ministry publication Observatorul Militar.
Incicas said the acquisition, once approved, will be done through a government-to-government deal. The timeline for the purchase was unclear.
A typical U.S. armored battalion has between 50 and 60 tanks.
Countries close to Russia, like Poland and Finland, are striking deals to buy U.S.-made weapons and looking to speed up existing contracts.