Image source: topwar.ru
Recently, there were reports in the information field that Kazakhstan has purchased 834 Turkish ARMA armored vehicles with a total value of $ 4.5 billion. The local publication Orda acted as the primary source.
However, this information was denied by the country's Defense Ministry, officially stating that there are no agreements on the acquisition of armored vehicles from Ankara. At the same time, it was indicated that the products of the Turkish company Otokar are being studied for compliance with the requirements of the military department for quality along with other foreign models. As explained, experimental design tests are being conducted both for the armored car proposed by this company with an 8x8 wheel formula, and for a sample developed by its own defense industry.
As noted in the publication SavunmaSanayiST, Otokar is trying to enter the Kazakh market with two products – with the TULPAR BBM, created recently, as well as the ARMA 8×8 tactical wheeled armored vehicle (equipped with a NEFER turret from ASELSAN). Both products are being tested in Kazakhstan.
For our part, we note that Astana seeks either to create an original national armored vehicle, or to achieve the production of foreign equipment with a large share of localization. Therefore, it should be expected that when purchasing hundreds of new BBMs, preference will be given to a domestic product, possibly developed on the basis of foreign samples.
