According to the Hotnews website of Romania, German company Rheinmetall expects to sign an agreement with the Romanian government for the development of a new 8×8 armored vehicle called Agilis at Moreni in Southern Romania. The Agilis will incorporate Romanian technologies from the local-made SAUR prototypes and German Boxer 8x8 armoured vehicles.

Drawing of future Agilis 8x8 Armoured vehicle personnel carrier (Source picture Rheinmetall)

The German company would receive €234 million for three years, said Thorsten Kutz, board member of the joint venture between the Romanian Government and the German company.

Rheinmetall will build 400 armoured vehicle personnel carriers for Romania’s Defense Ministry, with a delivery deadline for 2020, at the same time Rheinmetall will offered maintenance services from its Romania site until 2055. The German company also wants to build at the Moreni factory in Romania military trucks and other products for its international customers, as well as the 30-mm cannon that be will fitted on the Agilis armoured vehicle.

The Romanian Defense Ministry will started the public acquisition procedure and sign a contract to buy the armored vehicles after the development stage has begun. Around 90% of the components for the new Agilis armoured vehicle will be manufactured in Romania including the engine and driveline.

The new Agilis APCs will replace Romania's TAB vehicles including TAB-71 and TAB-77 APCs, which are a locally built variant of the Soviet-made BTR-70. The amount of the planned acquisition was not disclosed, but the Romanian Armed Forces is planning to replace about 1,500 such vehicles in the coming years.