ANKARA - Turkish land systems manufacturer Otokar has finalized an agreement to acquire a majority stake in the Romanian company Automecanica S.A. and its manufacturing plant in Medias. The transaction involves the purchase of 96.77 percent of the company's capital for approximately EUR85 million. The deal is currently pending final approval from local regulatory authorities.
The acquisition establishes a permanent manufacturing presence for Otokar within the European Union. The Medias facility, which spans 140,000 square meters and employs more than 250 personnel, is being prepared to handle the full production cycle of armored vehicles. This includes metal cutting, welding, painting, and final assembly. According to project timelines, full assembly operations at the site are scheduled to commence in June 2026.
This industrial expansion is tied to the COBRA II ATBTU program, a contract signed in November 2024 with C.N. Romtehnica S.A. valued at approximately 857 million EUR. The agreement requires the delivery of 1,059 COBRA II 4x4 tactical wheeled light armored vehicles to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense. While initial units were manufactured in Turkey and are already deployed with the Romanian Armed Forces, the contract mandates that a significant portion of the remaining fleet be produced locally.
Otokar has initiated training and knowledge-transfer programs for the Romanian technical staff to ensure the facility meets NATO production standards. The Medias site currently holds the necessary licenses for serial armored vehicle production. This move transitions the Romanian defense sector from a recipient of imported equipment to a local manufacturer of 4x4 tactical vehicles.
This acquisition represents a shift in how NATO member states on the Eastern Flank manage defense procurement. By moving production of the COBRA II to Romania, Otokar is addressing the growing demand for sovereign defense capabilities, where nations prioritize domestic manufacturing over direct imports to ensure supply chain security. For Otokar, the Medias plant serves as a strategic bridgehead into the European Union market, potentially bypassing trade barriers and simplifying logistics for future continental contracts. For Romania, the deal upgrades its industrial base to NATO standards and secures a long-term technical workforce, strengthening the alliance's regional manufacturing capacity during a period of heightened security concerns in Eastern Europe.
