ation ▁I AR - 3 3 0 L . ▁ ▁At ▁least ▁ 1 6 3 ▁of ▁these ▁hel ic op ters ▁have ▁been ▁built , ▁out ▁of ▁which ▁ 1 0 4 ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁Roman ia ' s ▁military , ▁ 2 ▁were ▁retained ▁by ▁the ▁manufact urer ▁and ▁ 5 7 ▁were ▁produced ▁for ▁export ▁( P ak istan , ▁I v ory ▁Coast , ▁United ▁Arab ▁Em ir ates , ▁Sud an , ▁E cuador ). ▁There ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁search ▁and ▁rescue ▁( S AR ) ▁version , ▁fitted ▁with ▁infl atable ▁flo ats ▁for ▁emer gency ▁landing ▁at ▁sea , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁built ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁batch . ▁Production ▁is ▁still ▁on going ▁at ▁the ▁Indust ria ▁Aer onaut ică ▁Rom ână ▁plant ▁at ▁Gh imb av ▁near ▁Bra ș ov . ▁ ▁SO CAT ▁version ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁Air ▁Force ▁decided ▁to ▁enh ance ▁the ▁combat ▁capabilities ▁of ▁the ▁I AR ▁ 3 3 0 L , ▁making ▁it ▁a ▁universal ▁anti - t ank ▁and ▁support ▁hel ic opter . ▁At ▁that ▁time , ▁Roman ia ▁started ▁to ▁co oper ate ▁with ▁Israel ▁on ▁some ▁military ▁programs . ▁The ▁Isra eli ▁company ▁El bit ▁Systems ▁was ▁chosen , ▁and ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁Air ▁Force ▁signed ▁a ▁contract ▁to ▁upgrade ▁ 2 4 ▁hel ic op ters ▁with ▁the ▁SO CAT ▁system ▁( S ist em ▁Opt ron ic