Romania is moving ahead with its plan to acquire two light corvettes from Rheinmetall, with construction set to take place domestically.
The ships will be based on the Multipurpose Modular Offshore Patrol Vessel (MMPV) 90 design by Rheinmetall segment Naval Vessels Lürssen, forming the centerpiece of Romania’s latest naval modernization strategy under the EU-backed Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defense investment program.
Approximately 836 million euros ($980.8 million) was allocated to initiate assembly of the two corvette-class ships, according to Romanian news agency HotNews.
Bucharest noted that the configuration of its incoming platforms will not be identical to Bulgaria’s new corvettes, which were also modeled after the German MMPV architecture.
“We have more advanced electronic equipment… more advanced radars, [and] more advanced surface-to-air missiles,” HotNews quoted Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruță as saying, adding that “the ships cannot be compared.”
The country aims to admit the ships into service by 2030.
The MMPV 90
Rheinmetall’s MMPV 90 system spans 90 (295 feet) meters, has a beam of 14 meters (46 feet), and a capacity for up to 70 sailors.
It is equipped with twin engines that have an individual output of 8,900 horsepower for speeds of more than 20 knots (37 kilometers/23 miles per hour) and a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,556 kilometers/3,452 miles).
The vessel features a flight deck and hangar that can accommodate rotary-wing aircraft along with unmanned aerial systems, as well as a midship mechanism for two rigid-hull inflatable boats.
Planned systems for the MMPVs include a Thales-supplied sensor suite incorporating a multifunction radar and TACTICOS combat management system, electronic warfare solutions, and hull-mounted and towed sonars for anti-submarine warfare.
Meanwhile, the ships can be armed with a 76-millimeter OTO Melara main gun, a 35-millimeter Oerlikon Millennium close-in weapon system, and a 21-cell rolling airframe missile launcher for air defense.
Torpedo launchers and decoy systems are also expected, while Naval Strike Missiles may be integrated at a later stage.
