Turkey delivers its first warship export to a NATO and EU member
Money MovesRomania receives the Hisar-class corvette CAm. Roman, opening Turkey's arms sales inside the Western alliance
June 20th, 2026: Turkey delivers CAm. Roman to RomaniaNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
Overview
On June 20, 2026, Turkey handed Romania the corvette CAm. Roman at an Istanbul shipyard—its first warship export to a NATO and EU member. Presidents Erdoğan and Dan attended the ceremony. Romania's navy assigned the ship to its 50th Corvette Division, its first new vessel in 35 years.
The €223 million deal put Turkey inside NATO's naval market for the first time. Romania plans to add NATO-standard vertical launch missiles and anti-submarine systems before the end of 2026. Its follow-on warships, though, will come from Rheinmetall: Bucharest signed a €920 million contract in late May for two 90-meter patrol vessels under the EU's SAFE program.
Why it matters
A NATO member now sails a Turkish-built warship, signaling Turkey's rise from arms importer to a supplier inside the alliance's own naval market.
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People Involved
Organizations Involved
ASFAT is Turkey's state-owned military shipbuilder, handling government-to-government defense sales and naval construction.
Romania's navy guards the country's Black Sea coast alongside NATO partners.
Timeline
September 2011 June 2026
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Turkey delivers CAm. Roman to Romania
Latest MilestoneAt an Istanbul shipyard, Turkey hands over its first warship exported to a NATO and EU member. Presidents Erdoğan and Dan attend; the same ceremony delivers a sister ship to Turkey's navy.
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Romania signs €920M Rheinmetall deal for two follow-on patrol vessels
DealBucharest contracts Rheinmetall's NVL subsidiary for two MMPV 90 offshore patrol vessels and two diving support boats under the EU's SAFE program, valued at €920 million. The ships will be built at Romania's Mangalia shipyard, with deliveries expected between 2028 and 2030.
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Romania signs corvette purchase with Turkey
DealBucharest and Ankara sign an intergovernmental contract worth about €223 million for one Hisar-class light corvette, with training and logistics support.
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High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council established
DiplomacyTurkey and Romania set up a formal council to coordinate strategic ties, deepening the channel that produced the warship deal.
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Turkey and Romania form a strategic partnership
DiplomacyThe two Black Sea neighbors raise their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership, laying groundwork for later defense cooperation.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
Turkey's Bayraktar drones reshape its arms exports (2020)
Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones proved decisive in conflicts in Libya, Syria, and the Nagorno-Karabakh war. Foreign governments lined up to buy them. The drone turned Turkey from a niche supplier into a recognized arms exporter.
Dozens of countries ordered Turkish drones, and export revenue climbed sharply.
Turkey built a reputation for capable, lower-cost weapons, the same pitch now driving its warship sales.
The drone boom showed how Turkey breaks into markets dominated by Western suppliers. The Romania corvette extends that playbook from the air to the sea.
South Korea sells warships to NATO and beyond (2000s-2010s)
South Korea grew from an arms importer into a major exporter, selling warships, submarines, and artillery to buyers including NATO members. Its shipyards won contracts long held by Western firms.
Seoul landed large naval and land-systems deals across Europe and Asia.
South Korea became a top-tier defense exporter, proving a non-traditional supplier can win allied naval business.
Turkey is following a similar path. The Romania sale is the kind of breakthrough that earlier marked South Korea's arrival in the allied arms market.
