Romania has finalized a government-to-government agreement with Türkiye for the purchase of the Hisar-class light corvette Akhisar, a €223 million acquisition intended to rapidly enhance the Romanian Naval Forces amid growing security pressures in the Black Sea. The deal represents the first export of a Turkish-built warship to a NATO and EU member state, marking a significant milestone for both countries.
Signed on December 3, 2025, at the Romanian Ministry of National Defence in Bucharest, the agreement between ASFAT and the General Directorate for Armaments provides Romania with its first new major surface combatant in decades. Designed to bridge a critical capability gap, the Akhisar corvette will reinforce maritime security missions, safeguard offshore energy sites, and improve interoperability with NATO allies.
During the signing ceremony, Defence Minister Radu Miruță stated that the new vessel represents a “concrete step” toward strengthening Romania’s defense posture in the Black Sea. The contract covers the acquisition of the platform, crew training, and a logistics support package, bringing the total expected program cost to approximately €265 million once national integration and additional systems are included.
The Akhisar corvette will operate as a compact multi-mission platform blending Turkish and Western technologies. Its standard configuration includes an MKE 76 mm naval gun, the ASELSAN Gökdeniz 35 mm close-in weapon system, remote weapon stations, and a modern sensor suite linked to the HAVELSAN ADVENT combat management system. Romania may opt to integrate further NATO-standard systems as the ship enters service.
One of the key advantages of the deal is delivery speed: the vessel will be transferred directly from the Turkish Navy’s inventory, enabling arrival in Constanța within six months—significantly faster than Romania’s delayed domestic corvette initiatives. However, limited industrial participation remains a sensitive issue within Romania’s effort to revive its naval shipbuilding sector.
Strategically, the acquisition comes at a time of heightened regional instability driven by Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Many of Romania’s naval assets date back to the late Cold War, and modernization efforts have experienced repeated setbacks. The Hisar-class corvette will immediately enhance Romania’s patrol, escort, ISR and anti-surface warfare capabilities, contributing to NATO’s maritime posture along its eastern flank.
For Türkiye, the contract is a high-profile export success demonstrating the maturity of its naval industry and its growing competitiveness in Europe. The sale also solidifies broader defense cooperation between Ankara and Bucharest, complementing existing partnerships in drones, land systems and regional security initiatives.
Once delivered, the Akhisar is expected to become a cornerstone of Romania’s updated fleet composition—alongside future patrol vessels, upgraded frigates, unmanned maritime systems and planned submarine programs—while symbolizing closer NATO integration and a stronger, more resilient maritime architecture in the Black Sea.
