Focus on NMS 4×4 for Latin America

Nurol Makina ve Sanayi AŞ (NMS) – Turkey’s only entirely privately-owned defence vehicle manufacturer – is setting out to prove at FIDAE it is not only a designer and manufacturer of 4×4 armoured vehicles, but also of all kinds of wheeled and tracked vehicles, up to MBTs.

On display at FIDAE are models of the Ejder Yalçın and the NMS Pick-up. The company’s presence in Chile dates from 2020, with the deployment of Ejder Toma 4×4 multi-purpose riot control vehicles to the Carabineros. Other armoured and special-purpose vehicles in the 4×4 segment include the Ejder Yalçın, the Ejder Kunter and the Ilgaz, as well as the NMS 4×4 and Ejder Toma. The Turkish production site has a capacity of some 250-300 vehicles per annum.

The Ejder Toma offers a completely digital control system to lower the workload for the crew, which consists of a driver and one operator. It is deigned for riot control and can use various combinations of water, dye, tear gas and foam mixtures, with action guides by a 360° camera and visualisation system. The dual water cannon has a 10,000l tank and an LED warning system. The vehicle is available in 4×4, 6×6 or 8×8 configurations, on either military or commercial chassis.

One of the newest vehicles is the lightweight armoured NMS 4×4, in use with the Turkish presidential guard and four other countries in the EU/NATO, Africa and the Middle East for military and police missions. The STANAG 4569 level 1 base protection can be supplemented with additional protection kits up to level 4 – with the modification conducted by the users. Furthermore, a wide variety of weapon stations and sensors can be integrated. The vehicle offers configurations for air defence, SWAT, combat, ISR and anti-tank roles, or for use as a pick-up with single or double cabin. According to the manufacturer, the latter version might the best one for Latin American requirements. It offers a 2t payload and a crew of up to five (seven in the standard variant), with an agile, modular structure to suit all needs – and is NATO-compliant.

The anti-tank variant can mount up to eight ATGM, with an additional eight reloads. RWS for 7.62x51mm or .50BMG machineguns, or cannon up to 30mm, can be integrated and the pick-up will even cater for an 81mm mortar to be fitted.

For more robust requirements, the Ejder Yalçın (Strong) 4×4 can accommodate a 120mm mortar. NMS has sold over 1,000 Ejder Yalçın worldwide, mainly in Africa, the Middle East and the EU. The light ballistic (and upgradeable) protection is n line with STANAG 4569 and the vehicle offers an undisclosed level mine protection. Variants are available for the ambulance, C2, anti-tank, air defence, mine/IED detection and clearance, border surveillance, ISR, radar, CBRN and jamming roles.

With a CBRN protection system, a 360° driver vision enhancement system and the provision for integrating all kinds of weapon stations and sensors, the vehicle accommodates a crew of up to 9. The company has already demonstrated a remote-control variant for hazardous missions such as EOD.

André Forkert reporting from Santiago for MON