Turkish Armored Vehicle Manufacturer Otokar Unveils ARMA II 8×8 Armored Vehicle
Otokar, a subsidiary of Koç Holding that supplies many ground vehicles to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), has unveiled the ARMA II armored vehicle. Otokar’s ARMA armored vehicle series, which launched in 2010, now includes the 8×8 ARMA II Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicle in addition to the 6×6 ARMA and 8×8 ARMA. On January 31, the company provided information and images of the Arma II, the first 8×8 military vehicle powered by an engine developed within the Turkish defense industry, on its website and social media accounts.
“We developed ARMA II as a new generation armored vehicle with higher capabilities, following in the footsteps of ARMA, the experienced member of the family, and reflecting the field experiences we gained with ARMA,” said Otokar General Manager Serdar Görgüç. ARMA is now regarded as one of the worlds ‘s leading armored combat vehicles in its class. With ARMA, we have acquired a wealth of experience over the course of more than ten years. Today, over 500 of our ARMA vehicles are used for various operations in various countries around the world. Furthermore, ARMA has passed the rigorous tests of various users in many different geographies around the world, from swamps to deserts, from harsh winter conditions to equatorial climates. We have applied the data obtained by our users in real-world use, feedback from our users, and production experiences to our efforts to develop ARMA II.”
“Our ARMA family has achieved a high level of user satisfaction,” Görgüç said, adding that they intend to continue production of the current ARMA. “Our ARMA vehicle is the only vehicle in its weight class with amphibious capability. Our multi-wheeled armored vehicle family has expanded further with ARMA II, which we developed with our own resources, taking into account the evolving needs and demands of our users and new threats. We believe that, like ARMA, ARMA II will soon be among the top priorities of modern armies. With ARMA II, we hope to build on Otokar’s success in armored combat vehicles.”
Otokar’s research and development team developed the ARMA II 8×8 Wheeled Armored Vehicle while keeping asymmetric threats and traditional combat conditions in mind. According to the information provided by the company, Arma II was designed with the claim of providing the best ballistic, mine, and improvised explosive device (IED) protection in its class in the world, as well as high terrain capability. The vehicle is powered by a 12.7-liter Ecotorq engine with 720 horsepower that was developed domestically. A foreign engine with the same power output is also available. Both engines were tested and qualified, and both engines were made ready for mass production. The vehicle has a maximum payload of 40 tons and can accommodate heavy weapon systems up to 120mm in caliber.
ARMA II’s modular structure allows it to be customized for a wide range of tasks. According to the company, ARMA II will be able to take part in missions as a reconnaissance vehicle with surveillance equipment, and a command-and-control vehicle with its large interior capacity and very fast redeployment capability. While ARMA II can undertake battlefield rescue operations with the appropriate subsystems, it will also be capable of carrying out a number of other functions, like maintenance and repair and ambulance, thanks to the extra capacity the enlarged hull main structure provides.