Turkey's defense enterprises equip their new armored vehicles with the Russian-made Kornet-E anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM), a spokesperson for the FNSS company Cem Altinisik told TASS at the Eurosatory 2018 defense show.

FNSS PARS 4x4, amphibious vehicle armed with remotely-operated Kornet-E antitank missiles and machine gun (Picture source: Army Recognition)

"The Kornet-E ATGM is operated by the Turkish military, and the integration of this weapon with combat vehicles is a logical choice. We have integrated the missile with the Pars 4x4 armored vehicle, which we deliver to Turkey's Armed Forces and offer to potential foreign customers," Altinisik said. He added that a new variant of the Kornet-E, Kornet-EM (M for Upgraded, Modernizirovanny), could be fitted with the armored platforms developed by FNSS.

The Pars 4x4 combat vehicle with two ready-to-launch Kornet-E ATGMs in a remote-controlled weapon station has been unveiled at the Eurosatory 2018 defense show. A source from the Turkish defense industry told TASS that the integration of the Kornet-E with new platforms (in particular, those developed by FNSS and Otokar) had become a trend of the development of indigenous armored vehicles. "The Russian-made Kornet-E missile is among the most popular anti-tank guided weapons in service with the Turkish military. The country's biggest automotive manufacturer, Otokar, has armed the newest Tulpar-S combat vehicle with four ready-to-launch Kornet-Es, while FNSS has also fitted its Kaplan self-propelled ATGM [SPATGM] system with the Kornet-E," he said.

The source added that FNSS and Turkey's Ministry of Defense had signed a contract for 260 Pars and Kaplan SPATGMs. "A large number of the vehicles will carry the Kornet-E ATGM," he concluded.