Arms industry in Romania
Before 1989, Romania was among the top ten arms exporters in the world, however its arms industry declined considerably during the 1990s. Exports fell from roughly $1 billion before 1989 to about $43 million in 2006,[1] and the number of employees also fell from 220,000 in 1990 to 20,000 in 2009.[2] Sales to the Romanian Armed Forces have plunged after Romania's accession to NATO in 2004, as factories continue to produce Warsaw Pact-caliber weapons and ammunition, which are incompatible with their Western counterparts.
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As of 2009, sales are roughly evenly divided between the Romanian state and foreign customers such as European Union and Arab countries such as Egypt, Algeria and Iraq.[3] Other countries which have shown interest in Romanian equipment include Afghanistan, Israel, Switzerland, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, India, Georgia and a slew of African countries.[4] There have been some signs of slight recovery, with exports reaching €141 million in 2009. However, the arms industry in Romania still lags behind neighboring countries such as Ukraine,[5] Bulgaria[6] and Serbia.[7]
In recent years, the Romanian government has called, unsuccessfully, for the lifting of the European Union arms embargo on the People's Republic of China.
Manufacturers
- Aerostar
- Avioane Craiova
- Industria Aeronautică Română
- Romaero
- ROMARM
- Arsenal Reșița
- Bucharest Mechanical Factory
- Carfil Brașov
- Uzinele Mecanice Cugir
- UPS Dragomirești
- Electromecanica
- Fagaraș Powders Factory
- Metrom
- Mija Mechanical Plant
- Uzina Automecanica Moreni
- Pirochim Victoria
- Plopeni Mechanical Plant
- Sadu Mechanical Plant
- Tohan Mechanical Plant
Weapons and equipment
Small arms
- PA md. 86 assault rifle and carbine
- PM md. 63/65/90 assault rifle and carbine
- Pistol model 2000 handgun
- RATMIL SMG submachine gun
- Mitralieră md. 93 5.45×39mm LMG
- PM md. 64 7.62×39mm light machine gun
- PSL sniper rifle
- Dracula md. 98 machine pistol
- Mitraliera md. 66 7.62×54mmR Machine Gun
- PKT 7.62×54mmR Tank Machine Gun
- DShK 12,7x108mm Heavy Machine Gun
- ZPU 14,5x114mm x1 x2 x4 Heavy Machine Gun
- AG-7 rocket propelled grenade
- AG-9 Rocket propelled grenade
- CA-94 surface-to-air missile system
AFVs
- TR-77-580 main battle tank
- TR-85/TR-85 M1 main battle tank
- TR-125 main battle tank
- MLI-84/MLI-84M infantry fighting vehicle
- MLVM tracked armored personnel carrier
- TAB-71 armored personnel carrier
- TAB-77 armored personnel carrier
- ABC-79M armored personnel carrier
- B33 Zimbru armored personnel carrier
- Saur 1 armored personnel carrier
- Saur-2 armored personnel carrier
- ARO-244 ABI armored 4x4 vehicle
- CA-95 mobile anti-air missile system
Artillery
- M-1980/1988 30 mm x 3 towed anti-aircraft gun
- M-1988 60 mm infantry mortar
- M-1977 81/82 mm infantry mortar
- M-1982 120 mm infantry mortar
- M-1982 76 mm mountain gun M48
- M-1993 98 mm mountain howitzer
- M-1977 100 mm antitank gun 2A19/T-12 antitank gun
- M-1982 130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)
- M-1981 152 mm towed gun-howitzer M1955 (D-20)
- M-1985 152 mm howitzer 2A65
- M-1989 122 mm self-propelled howitzer 2S1
- LAROM MLRS 122 mm x 20 rockets x 2 / 160 mm x 13 rockets x 2
- ATROM 155mm self-propelled howitzer System
Weapons produced during World War II and the Interwar period
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Non-self-propelled weapons
Vessel | Design/Licence Origin | Number | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Submachine guns | |||||
Orița M1941 | ![]() |
6000+ | Local design, entered operational service with the Romanian Army in 1943 with a production rate of 666 pieces per month as of October 1942[8] (6,000 produced until October 1943)[9] | ||
Machine guns | |||||
ZB vz. 30 | ![]() |
10,000 | 10,000 licence-built locally at Cugir after Czechoslovak design,[10] with a production rate of 250 pieces per month as of October 1942[11] | ||
Mortars | |||||
Brandt Mle 1935 | ![]() |
1,115+ | Licence acquired from France to produce 175 mortars at the Voina Works in Brașov, but the number specified by the licence was far exceeded during the war, with a production rate of 26 pieces per month as of October 1942[12][13] (1,115 such mortars were built in Romania by mid-1943)[14] | ||
Brandt Mle 27/31 | ![]() |
456+ | Licence acquired from France to produce 410 mortars at the Voina Works in Brașov, but the number specified by the licence was far exceeded during the war, with a production rate of 30 pieces per month as of October 1942[15][16] (456 such mortars were built in Romania by mid-1943)[17] | ||
M1938 | ![]() |
500+ | Captured and reverse-engineered Soviet model, produced at the Reșița Works with a production rate of 80 pieces per month as of October 1942[18] (in total, over 500 of these mortars were built)[19] | ||
Anti-aircraft guns | |||||
3.7 cm flak | ![]() |
360 | 360 produced under German licence at the Astra Works beginning with 1938, with 102 delivered by May 1941 and a production rate of 6 pieces per month as of October 1942[20] | ||
75 mm Vickers | ![]() |
200 | 100 built under British licence by the Reșița Works beginning with 1936, with 100 delivered by mid-1941 and then a second batch of 100 started in July 1941 outside the licence, the production rate being of 5 pieces per month as of October 1942[21] | ||
Anti-tank guns | |||||
47 mm Schneider | ![]() |
140+ | Licence acquired from France to produce 140 guns at the Concordia Works in Ploiești, but the number specified by the licence was far exceeded during the war, with a production rate of 14 pieces per month as of October 1942[22][23] | ||
75 mm Reșița | ![]() |
375 | Native design combining features from several foreign models, a total of 210 pieces were produced at the Reșița Works, 120 at the Astra Works in Brașov and 42 at the Concordia Works in Ploiești in addition to three prototypes[24] | ||
Field artillery | |||||
100 mm Skoda | ![]() |
- | The Astra Works in Romania manufactured gun barrels for these pieces[25] | ||
150 mm Skoda | ![]() |
- | The Astra Works in Romania manufactured gun barrels for these pieces[26] |
Romanian monthly armament production (October 1942)[27]
Model | Number |
---|---|
Orița M1941 submachine gun | 666 |
ZB vz. 30 machine gun | 250 |
Brandt 60 mm mortar | 26 |
Brandt 81 mm mortar | 30 |
M1938 120 mm mortar | 80 |
Rheinmetall 37 mm AA gun | 6 |
Vickers 75 mm AA gun | 5 |
Schneider 47 mm AT gun | 14 |
AFVs
Aircraft
Warships
- Amiral-Murgescu minelaying destroyer escort
- Rechinul submarine
- Marsuinul submarine
- DB-13-class minesweeper (4 built)
- Dutch-designed torpedo boats (6 built)[33]
- S-boats (over 10 re-assembled for the Kriegsmarine)
- Type IIB U-boats (6 re-assembled for the Kriegsmarine)
Weapons produced during World War I and prior
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Artillery
- Obuzierul Krupp, calibrul 105 mm, model 1912 (120 built)
- 250 mm Negrei Model 1916 heavy mortar (unknown numbers)[34]
- 57 mm Burileanu anti-aircraft gun system (132 built)[35]
Aircraft
- A Vlaicu I trainer (1 built)
- A Vlaicu II trainer (1 built)
- A Vlaicu III trainer (1 built)
Warships
- Brătianu-class river monitor (4 assembled)
References
- "INVESTITII: In transeele industriei de armament".
- "Firmele româneşti de armament vor ca România să urgenteze semnarea Co…". Archived from the original on 7 September 2012.
- "Industria de armament a vândut, în 2009, produse militare de 100 de milioane euro, spun producătorii - Cotidianul". Archived from the original on 2009-11-13. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- "Industria de armament nu se preda". Archived from the original on 16 July 2012.
- Tsukanova, Anya (October 7, 2008). "Pirates shine spotlight on Ukraine arms-trafficking". Manila Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
- "Bulgaria's Arms Export Totals US$250 Million Annually". Archived from the original on 2009-08-18. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-11-22. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, p. 75
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, p. 149
- John Walter, Greenhill Books, 2004, Guns of the Third Reich, p. 86
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, p. 75
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, pp. 29-30 and 75
- Great Britain. Foreign Office, Ministry of Economic Warfare, 1944, Rumania Basic Handbook, p. 27
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, pp. 147, 76 and 29
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, pp. 29-30 and 75
- Great Britain. Foreign Office, Ministry of Economic Warfare, 1944, Rumania Basic Handbook, p. 27
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, pp. 147, 76 and 29
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, p. 75
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, photo album between pages 96 and 97 (page 12 of the album)
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, pp. 30 and 75
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, pp. 30 and 75
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, pp. 29-30 and 75
- Great Britain. Foreign Office, Ministry of Economic Warfare, 1944, Rumania Basic Handbook, p. 27
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, pp. 149 and 235-237
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, p. 29
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, p. 29
- Mark Axworthy, London: Arms and Armour, 1995, Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941–1945, p. 75
- Francesco Sorge, Giuseppe Genchi, Springer, 2015, Essays on the History of Mechanical Engineering, p. 144
- Francesco Sorge, Giuseppe Genchi, Springer, 2015, Essays on the History of Mechanical Engineering, p. 144
- Francesco Sorge, Giuseppe Genchi, Springer, 2015, Essays on the History of Mechanical Engineering, p. 144
- Morgała, Andrzej (1997), Samoloty wojskowe w Polsce 1918-1924 [Military aircraft in Poland 1918-1924] (in Polish), Warsaw: Lampart, pp. 63 and 69
- Bernád, Dénes, Rumanian Air Force: The Prime Decade 1938-1947, Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc, 1999, p. 45
- Spencer C. Tucker, World War II at Sea: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia, p. 633
- Adrian Storea, Gheorghe Băjenaru, Artileria română în date și imagini (Romanian artillery in data and pictures), p. 54 (in Romanian)
- Adrian Storea, Gheorghe Băjenaru, Artileria română în date și imagini (Romanian artillery in data and pictures), p. 63 (in Romanian)