Italy's Alenia Aeronautica Signs Memorandum of Agreement with Romania’s Aerostar

"Alenia Aeronautica and Aerostar will collaborate on the Eurofighter Typhoon programme, if the aircraft is chosen by the Romanian Air Force, but the MoA also opens the door to Aerostar for Finmeccanica aerospace activities and it will pave the way to a partnership that could be extended to other civil and military programmes,” the companies said in a joint statement.

Romania's Defence Ministry is expected to replace 48 Russian-made MiG-21 fighter jets over the next couple of years, possibly with multirole Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.

The decision may be taken next year and the first delivery is expected in 2010, a spokesman for Alenia Aeronautica told SeeNews over the phone from Italy.

Last December Alenia Aeronautica signed a 217 million euro ($287 million) deal with Romania's Defence Ministry to supply seven C-27J military transport aircraft.

Romania's southern neighbour Bulgaria received last November the first of the five C27J Spartan military transport aircraft it will get under a 91 million euro deal with Alenia Aeronautica.

Finmeccanica produces airplanes, helicopters, defence electronics and transportation devices.

Aerostar shares are listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange. They closed down 3.64% at 0.53 lei ($0.1932/0.1458 euro) on Tuesday. The company has said its first-half net profit fell to 918,236 lei this year from 2.64 million lei a year ago.

(1 euro=3.6355 Romanian lei)