The Romanian parliament recently gave its approval for the purchase of two Scorpène class submarines from Naval Group for an estimated amount of 2 billion euros.
Romania on the way to becoming the fifth holder of Scorpène
Romania, which had expressed its desire to strengthen and modernize its armed forces by bringing the share of its defense budget to 2.5% of GDP in 2023. The purchase of two conventionally powered submarines, in the case of the Scorpène class this propulsion is anaerobic.
The Scorpène, which measures between 60 and 76 meters depending on the version, was specially designed for export. The latter can carry up to 33 crew members, it is equipped with six 533 mm torpedo tubes with 18 torpedoes and can also accommodate the Exocet missile if necessary. The Scorpène class already equips the Brazilian, Indian, Chilean and Malaysian navy and should soon arrive in European waters with the Romanian navy, which would become the fifth user nation of the Scorpène.
Be careful however because disagreements are still present between the Constanta shipyard and Naval Group, financial impasses remain.
An agreement that is good for the French shipowner
Naval Group needed it after Australia withdrew from the “contract of the century” with the French industrialist which was around 50 billion euros to finally join the United States with their class of nuclear-powered Virginia submarines. Naval Group had not then signed a new international agreement for the sale of submarines.
While in November 2022, more than a year after the breach of the contract with Australia, Emmanuel Macron had proposed to the new Australian government the construction of four propulsion submarines in order to fill the gap between the replacement of 6 its Collins classes and the late arrival of the nuclear-powered Virginia class by the United States. Unfortunately, this proposal was definitively buried shortly after.
Naval Group has since positioned itself on the calls for tenders from Canada, Romania and India, which must respectively replace and strengthen their submarine capabilities.
For now, we still do not know what arrangements have been found, especially on the financial parts.
Source: air-cosmos
