Estonia Purchases 230 Armored Vehicles From Turkish Companies Nurol Makina and Otokar
The Estonian Centre for Defense Investments (ECDI) has signed a contract with Turkey’s leading ground systems manufacturers, Nurol Makina and Otokar, to purchase 230 armored vehicles in 4×4 and 6×6 variants for the Estonian Defense Forces. Contracts worth a total of 200 million Euros ($210.7 million) were signed by Magnus Valdemar Saar, General Manager of the Estonian Center for Defense Investments (ECDI), Sedef Vehbi, Deputy General Manager of Otokar, and Engin Aykol, General Manager of Nurol Makina.
The first agreement, worth 130 million Euros ($137 million), was signed between the Estonian Centre for Defense Investments (ECDI) and Otokar and covers the supply of an unknown number of Arma 6×6 Armored Personnel Carrier vehicles to the Estonian Land Forces’ 2nd Infantry Brigade (2. jalaväebrigaad). The second agreement, worth 70 million Euros ($73.8 million), was signed with Nurol Machinery and includes an unknown number of NMS 4×4 Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicles for the Estonian Land Forces’ 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades. The contracts, which cover vehicles, maintenance equipment, and training services, state that deliveries will begin in the second half of 2024 and will be completed in 2025. Furthermore, Estonia will make adjustments to the armored vehicles it receives to meet the specific needs of the Defense Forces, and they will be certified to protect against both small arms fire and mine detonations.
Karmo Saar, ECDI Air, Sea, and Combat Vehicles Category Manager, said in a statement regarding the agreements in question: “The protection of Estonian soldiers in dangerous situations is our top priority. Given the current security situation, we emphasized in the procurement terms and conditions that the vehicles should arrive in Estonia as early as possible. This was an extensive and technically complex procurement with extremely intense competition, involving a total of nine companies from six countries. The procurement was structured so that the armoured vehicles had to meet our technical requirements and quality standards, and the best bids were selected based on the fastest delivery time and price.”
Otokar Deputy General Manager Sedef Vehbi said, “This agreement we signed with Estonia is a milestone for our ARMA multi-wheeled armored combat vehicle family. ARMA 6×6, which has proven itself in different geographies and climatic conditions of the world, will be included in the inventory of a NATO member country for the second time.” He continued “we are proud that our vehicle, ARMA 6×6, was selected in the difficult evaluation of the Estonian Armed Forces, leaving its international competitors behind. We consider this agreement as the beginning of a long-term cooperation between the Estonian Armed Forces and Otokar.”
Along with the procurement contracts, Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur also signed a Letter of Intent, laying the groundwork for bilateral defense industry cooperation. A cooperation agreement was also signed between the ECDI and the Turkish Defense Industry Agency to ensure secure supplies of armored vehicle-related materials and services, as well as the joint organization of training and development activities.