Although a member of the Warsaw Pact, Romania made considerable efforts to be self-sufficient rather than dependent on Soviet support
In the field of helicopters, instead of opting for popular Soviet designs
Romania acquired the license to manufacture the French Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma in 1974
The first licensed helicopter was flown on October 22, 1975 under the designation IAR-330L
The IAR-330 has a payload capacity of 1,000 kg. It was a complement for the IAR-316 light utility helicopter
It is used for troop and cargo transport purposes
Helicopter provides accommodation for up to 16 troops, plus the crew of three
The IAR 330 Puma incorporates an all-metal semi-monocoque fuselage
The fuselage is integrated with a cockpit and a 6m long cabin
The power-plant is mounted on the top of the fuselage
The helicopter has a length of 15m, height of 4.6m and a wing span of 3.38m
The diameter of the main rotor is 16.2m. The maximum take-off weight is 7.4 tons
The IAR-330 is powered by two TURMO IV B turboshaft engines
If one or both engines are stopped, drive gears are rotated by the remaining turbine or autorotation
Helicopter has a four-blade main rotor. The IAR-330 is fitted with a semi-retractable, tricycle type landing gear
Emergency pop-out floatation units were mounted on some helicopters
The IAR-330 is powered by two Turboméca Turmo IVC turboshaft engines, with 1,576 hp each
Its cruise speed is 271 km/h, range is 572 km, service ceiling is 6,000 m, and rate of climb is 9.2 m/s
Romania's IAR-330 helicopter is capable of carrying weapons
The advanced weapon systems include a 20mm turret mounted gun, two side 7.62mm calibre machine guns
two X-5 anti-tank missile launchers and four Nato standard 57/70mm unguided rocket launchers
The helicopter can be optionally armed with air-to-air missiles
The IAR-330 SOCAT is a powerful upgrade, developed in partnership with Israel's Elbit Systems
It is fitted with advanced avionics, optronic reconnaissance and anti-armor system, nose-mounted 20-mm cannon
eight Raphael Spike-ER anti-tank guided missiles and unguided rocket launchers
This helicopter was introduced in 1999
A total of 24 Romanian helicopters were upgraded to this standard and are used as anti-tank gunships