Romania has finalised its purchase of a Hisar-class corvette from Turkish state-owned defence firm ASFAT in a deal worth €223 million.
The contract to acquire the new first-in-class warship was signed at Romania’s Ministry of National Defence headquarters in Bucharest last week.
Romania’s Minister of National Defence Radu-Dinel Miruta commented: “The entry of a new ship into the service of the naval forces is a concrete step, a step that strengthens our defence capacity in the Black Sea.
“We are not just talking about military equipment, but about the security of Romania and about respect for our military, who need the best conditions to carry out their missions.”
As per a press statement, the Romanian Navy intends to use the vessel for a mixture of patrol and combat missions, and protection of critical maritime infrastructure.
The newly-announced deal represents a feather in the cap for Türkiye’s MILGEM domestic shipbuilding programme. The Hisar-class ships are similar to the Ada-class corvettes developed for the Turkish Navy, but use different types of systems, weapons and equipment.
The warships are about 100 metres long and displace about 2,300 tonnes; they have a top speed of about 24 knots and a 4,500-nautical-mile range. Their flight deck can accommodate a naval helicopter and/or uncrewed air system.
The Hisar-class ships were developed both for domestic use and for export. Under the terms of the newly-finalised deal Romania will acquire the first-in-class boat, formerly known as TCG Akhisar and launched in September 2023, but sold to Romania before she was commissioned into service by the Turkish Navy.
The second ship in the class, TCG Kochisar, was launched at the same time as TCG Akhisar and like her sister ship has also been undergoing sea trials, but has yet to be commissioned.
- You can read more details about the purchase on the Romanian Ministry of National Defence website