South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace says it is prepared to localize up to 80% of production for Romania’s infantry fighting vehicle program, offering one of the highest industrial commitments in a competition that includes Germany’s Rheinmetall.
Hanwha plans to build a new armored-vehicle facility in Dâmbovița, where it says it would manufacture K9 howitzers, IFVs and other systems. The company has begun partnering with Romanian suppliers and aims to expand its network to more than 100 firms.
The company says its Redback IFV could be fully delivered by 2030, meeting Romania’s urgent timeline. Analysts note that the Redback previously outperformed Rheinmetall’s Lynx during Australia’s LAND 400 Phase 3 trials — one of the world’s most demanding armored-vehicle evaluations — before Australia selected the Redback in 2023.
Hanwha argues its proposal would strengthen Romania’s defence-industrial base through extensive technology transfer and local manufacturing. The firm says more than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs could be created as production ramps up.
The Redback shares key components with Romania’s planned K9 artillery fleet, offering advantages in logistics and maintenance, according to the company. Rheinmetall’s Lynx, which uses a different turret and ammunition type, would require new supply chains and training pipelines, defence analysts say.
Romania is pursuing the IFV acquisition under the EU’s SAFE framework, which encourages high levels of domestic industrial participation.
