Moldova Receives The Last Batch of Piranha IIIH Armored Personnel Carriers
The Republic of Moldova’s Armed Forces have received the last batch of Piranha IIIH armored personnel carriers donated by the Federal Republic of Germany. The official handover ceremony took place at Military Camp 142 in Chisinau, Moldova’s capital. The event was attended by Moldovan Defense Minister Anatolie Nosatîi, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Moldova Margret Uebber, and representatives of GDELS (GENERAL DYNAMICS European Land Systems), responsible for the transportation of military equipment to the Republic of Moldova.
Anatolie Nosatîi, the minister of defense for Moldova, spoke at the event and said that the delivery is a great example of the effective cooperation between the defense institutions of the Republic of Moldova and the Federal Republic of Germany. The Minister of Defense thanked Germany, stating that the Piranha APCs have improved the maneuverability of the infantry units and increased the operability of the Moldovan Armed Forces with allied countries.
Margret Uebber, the German Ambassador to Moldova, stated, “Germany fully respects Moldova’s neutral status. The supply of these armored vehicles is specifically intended to increase Moldova’s defense capabilities in the field of military mobility, as well as to enable the Armed Forces to participate in international peacekeeping operations.”
The delivery in question was carried out in accordance with an agreement signed in 2021 by then-German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht and her counterpart Anatolie Nosatîi. The agreement involved Germany providing 19 used Piranha armored personnel carriers (APCs) to the Moldovan Armed Forces free of charge. On January 12, 2023, the first three vehicles were officially delivered to the Moldovan Armed Forces. During the year, Moldova received the remaining 16 vehicles in three separate batches. All of the vehicles received replaced obsolete Soviet equipment and were assigned to the 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion.
The PIRANHA IIIH armored vehicle, which is also used by the Irish and Danish armed forces in addition to Moldova, was developed by the Swiss company Mowag Motorwagenfabriken, which is part of General Dynamics European Land Combat Systems (ELCS). Equipped with a composite armor kit, the vehicle is 6.96 m long, 2.85 m wide and weighs 18.5 tons. Depending on the user’s needs, the vehicle can be equipped with 7.62mm, 12.7mm machine guns or 40mm automatic grenade launchers. The vehicle can carry 9 troops and is operated by a three-man crew that includes a commander, gunner, and driver. The vehicle, which is powered by a 400 hp MTU 6V183TE22 diesel engine, has a top speed of 105 kilometers per hour and a range of up to 600 kilometers.