30 years of Turkey’s FNSS at DSEI 2019
Turkish armoured vehicle firm FNSS, a joint venture between Nurol Holding Inc. and BAE Systems probably best known for the ACV 19 and the ACV 15 family of infantry combat vehicles, celebrated 30 years of business this year at DSEI. On display was their Pars III 8×8 Wheeled Armoured Combat Vehicle (WACV).
The 30 ton Pars (Turkish for Anatolian Leopard) III can carry up to nine dismounts with a base operational range of 800 kilometers. With modular armouring options, the Pars can be customised to meet the threat level although the body of the vehicle has been optimised to counter mines and IEDs. FNSS argues that the Pars “has the protection level of mine-resistant personnel transport vehicle while differentiating itself through the provision of superior capabilities expected from a modern armored combat vehicle.”
It can be equipped with the one-man SABER-25 Turret mounting the 25mm Orbital ATK M242 or a newly designed unmanned variant, originally designed for Turkish Army requirements. Also offered is the larger two-man TEBER-30 Turret System which features a 30mm Mk44 cannon. An unmanned version of the 30mm turret is also available, the TEBER-30/35 RCT (remote control turret) which is also able to be upgraded to accommodate 40mm cannon.
The largest recent acquisition of the Pars has been an order from the Omani Army which included the recently developed Pars III Engineering Vehicle. This variant offers a range of modular mounts including a dozer blade attachment called the Surface Clearing Blade using the Pearson Universal Connection Kit (Jettison Kit).
Based on the earlier Pars II 8×8, the AV-8 Wheeled Armoured Vehicle (WAV) ‘Gempita’ has entered service with the Malaysian Army whilst under the Special Purpose Tactical Wheeled Armoured Vehicles contract with the Turkish Army, FNSS are now supplying both 6×6 and 8×8 of the Pars Scout variant and a dozen 6X6 platforms to the Turkish Army Special Forces Command.
FNSS are also intimately involved in the procurement of both wheeled and tracked anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) platforms for the Turkish military with both their wheeled 4X4 anti-tank vehicle and the tracked Kaplan Anti-Tank Vehicle undergoing trials.