Turkey moves forward on the anti-tank weapons vehicles programme 42904161

Defence & Security News - Turkey
 
Turkey moves forward on the anti-tank weapons vehicles programme
Turkey is moving forward with the acquisition plan for the new anti-tank weapons vehicles programme. The Turkish Defence Industry Undersecretariat (SSM) decided on 9 March and announced on 30 March that the project will continue with the contract negotiations taking place with FNSS as the provider of the platforms.
     
Turkey moves forward on the anti tank weapons vehicles programme
FNSS PARS 4x4 vehicle first presented at IDEF 2015 with a remote-controlled
weapon station (Photo: Army Recognition)
     

The anti-tank vehicles programme, STA (Silah Taşıyıcı Araç – Weapons Carrying Vehicle) in Turkish, aims at the upgrade of the Turkish Army’s platforms in the mechanized and motorized units. In addition, the vehicles will feature the Roketsan OMTAŞ medium-range anti-tank weapons in turrets. SSM plans to acquire 260 anti-tank weapons platforms, of which, 184 will be tracked and 76 wheeled.

FNSS’ offer is based on the Kaplan and Pars, tracked and wheeled vehicle respectively. It is expected that the wheeled vehicle will be the Pars 4x4, which was first unveiled in IDEF 2015. It was originally designed to undertake anti-tank, surveillance or C2 missions.

The tracked version will be based on the Kaplan infantry fighting vehicle. Kaplan had been presented at IDEF 2013 with a mock-up turret featuring four launchers of OMTAŞ anti-tank missiles, a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and EO/IR sensors.