U.S. soldiers maneuver M1A2 Abrams tanks during an exercise with Romanian allies in 2018 at Smardan Training Area, Romania. A Romanian army general said in an interview published March 7, 2023, that his country intends to buy enough U.S.-made Abrams tanks for a battalion. (Matthew Keeler/U.S. Army)
A top Romanian army general said this week that his country is the latest NATO ally in the market for U.S. Abrams tanks.
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.
A typical U.S. armored battalion has between 50 and 60 tanks. Incicas didn’t specify the quantity of the order or indicate which Abrams version Romania is seeking.
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. weapons manufacturer General Dynamics.
If Romania succeeds in adding U.S. tanks to its arsenal, it will join Poland, which has purchased American M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams tanks and is expected to incorporate them soon.
Both Poland and Romania have been on a weapons buying spree over the past few years as their militaries push to modernize.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has only added urgency to those efforts, with overall defense spending on the rise for both countries.
While Poland and Romania step up weapons purchases, the U.S. has increased its military presence there, with thousands of additional soldiers taking up positions on NATO’s eastern flank amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
