The first Romanian-produced Cobra II showcased at Otokar’s stand at BSDA 2026. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)
Turkish manufacturer Otokar showcased the first Romanian-produced Cobra II armoured vehicle at the Black Sea Defense Aerospace (BSDA) exhibition, held in Bucharest from 13-15 May 2026. The vehicle marks an important milestone in the transfer of technology and establishment of a Cobra II assembly line in Mediaș, Romania.
Speaking with Otokar after sales manager Hakan Ekinci,
Janes
learned that the first Cobra II came off the Romanian assembly line in early May 2026. The only variant present at the show displayed by either Otokar or the Romanian Land Forces was the base variant for Romania, which includes an open-top rear cargo area and a protected manned weapon station armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun.
According to the contract signed in December 2024, Romania ordered 1,059 Cobra II protected mobility vehicles. A total of 278 vehicles are to be produced at Otokar’s Sakarya facility in Türkiye, while the remainder are to be produced at Otokar’s recently established Mediaș facility. The site is located on the grounds of Automecanica and is situated next to Rheinmetall Automecanica’s facility, although no other connection exists between the two manufacturers.
Ekinci stated that the contract covers 11 variants, some of which have not yet been produced. Yusuf Fettahlioglu, a director at Otokar, told
Janes
that one challenge for its Romanian subsidiary has been meeting the localisation requirements stipulated in the contract signed in December 2024. As part of these efforts, processes such as forging armoured steel for vehicle construction have been established in-house at the Mediaș facility.
For more, please see:
FAVS 2025: Romanian production of Otokar Cobra II 4×4 light armoured vehicles to begin in mid-2026
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