« All Baltic states are boosting military capabilities because of the mounting Russian threat, » one expert said.
Turkish firm Otokar was awarded a contract to export its armored personnel carrier, ARMA 6×6, and Nurol Makina its 4×4 NMS. In all, Estonia is getting “around 230 wheeled amoured vehicles,” according to a release by the Estonian Centre for Defense Investments (ECDI).
“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,” Maj. Gen. Veiko-Vello Palm, commander of Estonia’s Defence Forces Division, said in the release. “The armoured vehicles to be delivered will increase the survivability of our units and allow greater flexibility in unit deployment.”
According to an Otokar statement, their contract is worth €130 million ($138 million USD). Delivery of the vehicles will start in the second half of 2024 and is expected to be completed by 2025.
Can Kasapoglu, director of Defense Research at the Istanbul-based Edam think tank, told Breaking Defense the buy is in line with regional trends.
“The protection of Estonian soldiers in dangerous situations is our top priority,” he said. “Given the current security situation, we emphasized in the procurement terms and conditions that the vehicles should arrive in Estonia as early as possible.”
In a statement, Otokar official Sedef Vehbi said, “We value this award very much and consider it as a very important milestone for our ARMA vehicle family. We strongly believe that this initial contract will be a beginning of a long lasting relation between Estonian Defence Forces and Otokar.” Nurol Makina does not appear to have spoken publicly about its award.
Kasapoglu told Breaking Defense that ARMA 6×6 is the right choice for Estonia because it comes with flexible configuration, firm protection and is combat-proven. The company says the vehicle is operational in five different countries in the world.
“Land warfare solutions is particularly strong in the Turkish weapons portfolio, and these platforms are affordable with perfect infrastructure,” Kasapoglu said.
The Turkish defense industry has witnessed a large increase in exports lately, with land systems as well as unmanned aerial vehicles leading the way.
Kasapoglu noted that the worth of the armored vehicle deal is not terribly high, but “it is significant because Turkey is becoming an arms supplier to its NATO allies.”
Otokar said the ARMA 6×6 can perform multiple missions from surveillance to recovery to personnel carrier, to armored combat to command and control. As for armaments, medium- and high-caliber weapons can be mounted on it.
According to Nurol Makina’s website, the NMS 4×4 is an armored vehicle with four wheels that has “low weight and high protection features” and can be used for missions such as combat, “personnel carrier, air defense and reconnaissance in high-intensity conflict environments.”