IAR 330

[3] Accordingly, for military equipment to be developed entirely or partially in Romania to bolster the nation's self-reliance was desirable, while partnerships with third party countries were also sought for the supply of large-ticket items.

Accordingly, on 11 October 1973, the Sikorsky S-61 was formally pitched to a group of Romanian representatives, which included a test flight performed at Băneasa Airport.

Between 13 and 15 October of that same month, a presentation at the Romanian aerospace manufacturer Întreprinderea de Construcții Aeronautice's (IAR) facility at Ghimbav.

A separate agreement was also signed to undertake the licensed production of the Turboméca Turmo IVC turboshaft engines that powered the type.

[1] Quantity production of the type proceeded shortly thereafter; by 1980, around 25 IAR 330s had reportedly been produced, with the deliveries evenly divided between domestic and overseas customers.

[5] By 2010, around 163 of these helicopters have reportedly been built, 104 of which were delivered to the air wings of the Romanian military, while two were retained by the manufacturer and a further 57 were produced for various export operators.

[6] Furthermore, specialised variants of the helicopter were developed for roles such as naval warfare, search and rescue (SAR), command & control, and medevac operations, typically being produced in limited numbers.

[9][10] During the 1990s, the Romanian Air Force sought to enhance the combat capabilities of its IAR 330L fleet to make it into a universal anti-tank and support helicopter.

The helicopter is in a similar configuration to the Romanian Air Force variant, including the SOCAT upgrade package; however, the Navy rotorcraft are equipped with RDR-1700A on-board radar, flotation gear housed underneath the nose and main undercarriage fairings and can carry Sting Ray torpedoes.

The IAR-330 Puma SOCAT used for anti-armor warfare
IAR 330 Puma NAVAL variant.
Orthographically projected diagram of the SA330 Puma Line Drawing
Orthographically projected diagram of the SA330 Puma Line Drawing
Pair of IAR 330s in flight
Diver dropping toward the water from an IAR-330L Puma, 1992