Turkish MoD Awards FNSS for Turkish Navy’s Armoured Amphibious Assault Vehicle Programme
The Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) and FNSS on 7 March signed a contract to meet the amphibious armoured vehicle (AAV) requirement of the Turkish Naval Forces Command (DZKK). The Armoured Amphibious Assault Vehicle (ZAHA) Project encompasses a total of 27 vehicles, including 23 personnel carriers, two command and control (C2) vehicles, and two recovery vehicles.
During the landing phase of an operation, these vehicles are launched from the landing helicopter dock (LHD) approaching the coast, and rapidly cover several kilometres, allowing units to land with minimum delay. Once on land, they can continue taking part in operations side by side with other armoured vehicles. In addition to safely enabling landing operations, the ZAHAs can become armoured combat vehicles (ACV) or armoured personnel carriers (APC) after reaching shore.
Under the contract signed between SSM and FNSS, the vehicles will be developed and produced by FNSS based on an indigenous development model. The technical characteristics of these ZAHAs were determined by taking into consideration the operational concept and mission requirements defined by DZKK.
“Following the Anti-Tank Vehicles Project, the ZAHA contract is the second contract we have signed with SSM in the past year,” K. Nail Kurt, General Manager and CEO of FNSS, commented. “Then there is also the KORKUT contract [see article here] we have signed with Aselsan. Thus, in addition to successfully maintaining our status as the largest and most important local supplier to the Turkish Land Forces Command in terms of the variety of vehicles and the duration of service, we now deservedly take pride in having become a vehicle supplier for DZKK as well. The FNSS vehicles currently in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces, which include the Armoured Combat Vehicles (ACVs), the SAMUR Armoured Amphibious Assault Bridge and the KUNDUZ Amphibious Armoured Combat Earthmover, are performing their duties admirably. Vehicles that will enter the inventory in the coming period include the ACV-30, which will be used in the KORKUT project; the KAPLAN-15 and PARS 4×4, which will be used in Anti-Tank Vehicles project; and the Armoured Amphibious Assault Vehicle. With the vehicles tailored for each requirement, FNSS will continue to serve the Turkish Armed Forces.”
