Schoenherr advises Otokar on USD 1bln armoured vehicles contract with Romanian Army

Schoenherr advised Otokar on signing a public contract with the Romanian state company Romtehnica, an entity of the Ministry of National Defence. Awarded following a public tender, the contract refers to the supply of 1,059 Cobra II 4×4 tactical wheeled light armoured vehicles and integrated logistics support services, worth approx. USD 1bln, VAT included. The first 278 vehicles will be manufactured in Türkiye, while the rest will be produced in Romania.

The firm’s services included legal advice in connection with all phases of Otokar’s participation in the public procurement procedure organised by Romtehnica for the award of this contract, including assistance with signing.

„We are absolutely delighted to have collaborated with Schoenherr on this monumental project, one of the largest land system procurements in Europe. Schoenherr’s exceptional expertise in Romanian and international law, their meticulous approach to project management, and their unwavering commitment to Otokar’s business ethics and compliance standards played a pivotal role in our success in securing the tender,” said Sedef Vehbi, Otokar Military Cluster Head. She extended heartfelt gratitude to the entire team, with special recognition for partner Iustin Armașu, for their invaluable contributions and steadfast support.

„Romania has allocated a record budget to defence in 2024, with almost EUR 4bln dedicated to the acquisition of new equipment, according to public sources. Our team has advised international companies in a significant portion of this year’s public procurement procedures in the defence sector. We are honoured to have contributed to the successful signing of this contract,” said Schoenherr partner Iustin Armașu, who led the team advising Otokar in this matter.

Otokar is Türkiye’s pioneer and most experienced land systems company, designing and manufacturing wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles and turret systems. Otokar military products are actively used in more than 40 countries, including Türkiye. The company’s COBRA II 4×4 tactical armoured vehicle is actively operated by more than 20 users in 13 countries.

The Schoenherr team advising Otokar in this matter was led by Iustin Armașu (partner) and included Adriana Stoian (managing director tax, Romania), Valeria Stropșa (senior attorney at law) and Iulia Giurgea (attorney at law).

Schoenherr is a leading regional law firm, with 15 offices and four country desks in Central and Eastern Europe and South-Eastern Europe. The firm has been active in Romania since 1996, providing full-service legal advice to local and multinational companies. Schoenherr Romania is ranked in by all major legal directories that survey the legal market (Chambers and Partners, Legal500, IFLR1000).

Article supported by Schoenherr & Asociatii