Vehicle I-D: NATO Romania’s Mowag Piranha-5

The ‘Class-5’ Piranha prototype was completed in 2008.

Hawaii Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Theresa Gualdarama, 04MAY2023.

The production Mowag/General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) Piranha-5 was revealed to the public on 15JUN2010.

Hawaii Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Theresa Gualdarama, 05MAY2023.

NATO-Romania placed an order for 227 of the Mowag/GDELS Piranha-5 in 2017.  Part of the deal includes production of most of the Romanian Piranha-5s to be done in Romania by a company called Uzina Mecanică București.

During NATO wargame Anakonda23, 06MAY2023. Hawaii Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Theresa Gualdarama.

Romania began receiving their new Piranha-5 in October 2020.  In the beginning of 2023, it was reported that Romania had ordered an additional 150 Piranha-5s.

Hawaii Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Theresa Gualdarama, 06MAY2023.

So far Romania has shown-off the Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) version of the Piranha-5, but it is also being produced as a mortar carrier, ambulance and Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) vehicles.

During NATO wargame Anakonda23. U.S. Army photo by Private First Class Jason Klaer, 15MAY2023.

Here is some video I edited together from U.S. Army videos recorded between April 2022 and June 2023:

The IFV Piranha-5 is armed with a 30-millimeter gun.

Hawaii Army National Guard photo by Sergeant First Class Theresa Gualdarama, 15MAY2023.

More Romanian military equipment: MLI-84M1 Jder, not your father’s BMP!

BMP Ambulance, ROMÂNIA style.

Gun Boats; guardians of the Danube.