Three New Armoured Tactical Vehicles by Otokar

On the eve of IDEF, Otokar introduced its new generation tracked armoured vehicle “Tulpar” weighing 35 tons, Cobra-II with more payload, volume and protection than standard COBRA, new wheeled tactical armoured “Ural” convenient for police and domestic security usage also named as new generation ZPT and anti-tank laser guided missile  LUMTAS embedded into 8x8 Arma vehicle to the press. 

Celebrating her 50th year, Otokar, one of the prominent land platform manufacturers in Turkey, introduced the three new products in its product line to the members of press. Company’s General Manager Serdar Görgüç made a presentation on the new products to the press members during the site visit at Otokar’s facilities in Sakarya. Following the presentation, a tour at the factory was made and the new vehicles of Otokar family were presented to the press for the first time.

Tulpar will put an end to the foreign source dependency in tracked armoured vehicles

Accomplishing its product line of wheeled armoured vehicles by increasing the drive from 4x4 to 8x8 constituted of a variety of 4 to 28 tons, Otokar benefited from its experience in armoured vehicles in manufacturing tracked vehicles in its 50th anniversary of establishment. Otokar aims to put an end to foreign source dependency in tracked vehicles with Tulpar designed by Otokar engineers. Tulpar, the intellectual rights of which are owned by Otokar, was designed in equivalent capacity and characteristics with the armoured combat vehicles used in vehicle programs of the operations conducted in NATO countries. Tulpar, named after the legendary winged horse in the Epic of Manas, was developed in a way that it could function with the main battle tanks that cover the demands of the 21st century. Tulpar’s first prototype weighs 35 tons and it can be manufactured in a scale of 25-45 tons depending on the tracked armoured combat vehicle user’s demands. Tulpar, having three various power groups depending on the combat trains and which could be used by transfer mechanisms, bears modular armor structure and has the top ballistic and mine protection among its category. Besides, this armour structure can be configured and scaled depending on the size of the threat. The prominent subsystems of the vehicle such as the suspension, final drive, and track beam were entirely designed by Otokar.

Görgüç: “With its flexible and modular structure, Tulpar is designed in a way to cover all the demands of the users”

Stating that the vehicle was designed in a flexible architecture that allows the integration of various sub-systems without making any alterations, Serdar Görgüç added, “Owing to its armour structure and electronic infrastructure, it is quite easy to adapt the subsystems required by the user, a number of various active protection and turret systems can be adapted and it is possible to apply various electronic subsystems to the vehicle depending on the user’s demands. Building various subsystems through minor modifications is also possible. Therefore it has a modular structure both in chassis and electronic aspects. As a result, it shall cover the user’s demands easily and with less cost”.

Tulpar is capable of carrying a full rifle squad and it can be used in various configurations namely Armoured Weapons Carrier Vehicle (OMTAS Antitank Missile Carrier), Combat Vehicle (25mm Turret System), Armoured Engineering Squad Vehicle, Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle, Armoured Command Control Vehicle, Armoured Command Post Vehicle, Armoured Maintenance and Rescue Vehicle, Armoured Mortar Carrier, Armoured Ambulance.  

The qualification tests of this new generation vehicle are planned to be completed in 2014 and thus shall be ready for mass production.  

Cobra family growing, Cobra-II making a debut 

Selling over 2000 Cobras in 15 countries including Turkey, Otokar is preparing to confirm her success with the new family member Cobra-II. Designed in line with the emerging needs and existing demands of the users in 5 continents, Cobra-II will have the equivalent mobility capacities. Cobra-II has more payload and volume than the existing Cobra vehicle and it shall offer a better protection against handmade explosives, mines and ballistic explosives than the standard Cobra. According to the plan, the manufacturing of the standard COBRA shall continue with the start of the production of Cobra-II. 

Ural - The New Armoured Personnel Carrier from Otokar

Yet another wheeled tactical armoured vehicle from Otokar Ural is the latest result of company’s experience in police and domestic security vehicles. With its high mobility capacity and protection level, Ural is ideal for domestic security and paramilitary missions and it has been developed especially for meeting the domestic users’ demand for an armoured vehicle that has more payload and offers more driving and personnel comfort. Ural shall fill the gap between Otokar’s present Armoured Personnel Carrier and Cobra and it shall have a modular structure as well.

Otokar’s new turret systems: “Bozok-Başok-Üçok”

Otokar has been conducting studies on the turret systems since 1989 and on the “12,7 mm MKT turret” in the 90’s. Otokar has been focusing on the turret systems since 2011, in line with the expanding armoured vehicle family of the company. 

In 2011, Otokar first introduced Mızrak-30 in design and integration of turret systems. After a break of two years, Otokar brought the remote controlled weapon systems ranging from 7,62 mm to 30 mm Bozok, Başok and Üçok into light in 2013. Thus, Otokar increased her capacity to offer complementary and alternative solutions that range from low calibre to medium calibre in land systems.

Serdar Görgüç: “We are ready to meet all our Country’s demands related to land systems.” 

Otokar General Manager Serdar Görgüç said, “As one of the most experienced companies operating in Defence industry, we are adding the tracked armoured vehicle family to our tactical armoured vehicles as of 2013. With our engineering capabilities and our investments in R&D, we are leading the way in authentic and national turret systems, the intellectual property rights of which are owned by us. Through increasing our capabilities, we are displaying that Gürel Hunting is the most experienced company that has the competency and expertise in land systems. We have observed that in compliance with the changing demands in the World, our tracked armoured vehicles should have the outstanding power of fire, high payload as well as the high level of protection. Tulpar, developed within this respect, shall meet these criteria best with its modularity and mobility. With Tulpar, our initial goal will be the Turkish Armed Forces and then the export markets”.

Pointing out they made an R&D investment of 51 million TL in 2012, Görgüç continued “R&D’s share in Otokar’s turnover is 5 %. The total of R&D expenses of the last ten years is188 million TL. The Tank Test Center activated in 2012 is also the result of these investments. Meantime, our studies on a new test centre named 6Dof and turret systems are continuing”.

Görgüç expressed that over 28 thousand Otokar vehicles in nearly 30 countries are used in the World and added “We are in contact with more than 40 different users. Our capacity, performance of our vehicles and the logistic support we offer constitute the reasons for preference. We are in constant contact with the users and we closely analyze their demands and rapidly form the required solutions and our efforts reflect back to us as customer satisfaction and expanding product range”.

Underlining the fact that as a company they have been operating in the automotive sector for 50 years, Görgüç completed his words as “We manufactured Turkey’s first tactical vehicle in 1966, first armoured vehicle in 1983 and military armoured vehicle in 1990’s. We exported the military armoured vehicle in 1993 for the first time and we have been actively involved in defence industry since 1987. Gürel Hunting is open to public and we do not have any foreign partners. Otokar is Turkey’s single national military vehicle and land systems manufacturer. All our products’ intellectual property rights belong to us. We have a solid and reliable structure and our commercial works enable sustainable growth”.