In line with Baltic trends, Estonia has signed two contracts worth around $211 million to acquire armoured vehicles from Turkish defence companies. In particular, the firm Otokar has been awarded a contract to export its armoured personnel carrier, the ARMA 6×6, and Nurol Makina’s 4×4 NMS. The armoured vehicles will enhance Estonia’s armour protection and mobility, increasing the survivability of Estonian units and allowing greater flexibility in deployment. The Otokar contract alone is worth €130 million and is expected to be completed by 2025.
The procurement terms and conditions emphasise the timely arrival of the vehicles.
“All Baltic states are boosting military capabilities because of the mounting Russian threat,” said Can Kasapoglu – the director of Defense Research at the Istanbul-based Edam think tank. Otokar’s chief official, Sedef Vehbi, values the award as a milestone for the ARMA vehicle family, and believes it will be a beginning of a long-lasting relationship between his company and Estonian Defence Forces. The ARMA 6×6 can perform multiple missions, including surveillance, recovery, personnel carrier, armoured combat, command and control, and carries medium- and high-caliber weapons.
Major-General Veiko-Vello Palm, commander of Estonia’s Defence Forces Division, said:
“This is an important capability upgrade, especially for the infantry battalion of the 2nd Infantry Brigade and for command posts of the whole division, enhancing armour protection and mobility.”
CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE NEWS
4×4 for Estonian army.
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