Turkish Naval Forces Command Receives The First Batch Of FNSS Marine Assault Vehicles
The Turkish Naval Forces Command received the first batch of FNSS Defense Systems’ Marine Assault Vehicles (MAV). Turkish Defense Industry (SSB) President Ismail Demir announced the delivery via his social media account. In his post, Demir stated, “We have begun deliveries of the Armored Amphibious Assault Vehicle ZAHA (MAV) to the Naval Forces Command, which will provide a significant advantage to our marines in the field. We are one of the two countries in the world with this capability with mine and armor protection, firepower, and mobility.” It was also worth noting that the delivery took place just days after the US State Department approved the sale of 76 AAV-7A1 armored amphibious assault vehicles to Greece in various variants.
The ZAHA (MAV) Project began in March 2017 with a contract signed between the Defense Industries Agency (SSB) and FNSS Defense Systems to meet the Turkish Naval Forces Command’s amphibious armored vehicle needs. The contract calls for the delivery of 27 MAVs to the Turkish Naval Forces Command Amphibious Infantry Brigade, including two command and control vehicles, two rescue vehicles, and 23 personnel transport vehicles. It is unknown how many vehicles of which configuration were delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces Command as part of the initial batch. However, the company expects to finish delivering these vehicles, which will serve on the TCG Anadolu, TCG Sancaktar, and TCG Bayraktar ships, in April.
The Marine Assault Vehicle (MAV) was designed by FNSS with the operational concept and mission requirements of the Turkish Naval Forces Command in mind. It can be configured in four different ways: Personnel Carrier, Command Vehicle, Rescue Vehicle, and Mine Clearance Vehicle. The vehicle has a crew capacity of 21 personnel, including the gunner, driver, and commander, and measures 8.3 meters long, 3.3 meters wide, and 3.8 meters high. The MAV, which has a STANAG 4569 (Level Classified) ballistic body and mine protection for land conflicts, is outfitted with the ÇAKA Remote Controlled Turret weapon system, which includes a 12.7 mm machine gun and a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.
The armored vehicle, which is designed to withstand 2.5-meter waves and has the ability to correct itself in the event of capsizing without endangering the crew or requiring the use of an additional system, has a top speed of 7 knots at sea thanks to its hull design and water jets. The MAV, which can reach a top speed of 70 km/h on land, can climb 60% steep slopes and hold on 40% side slopes, as well as pass 90cm tall obstacles and 2m ditches.
With its entry into service, the FNSS MAV (ZAHA in Turkey), Turkey’s first and only domestic amphibious vehicle, has significant export potential in addition to being an important power multiplier for the Turkish Naval Forces. The vehicle, which was displayed for the first time outside of the country at the Indo Defense Expo & Forum 2022 Fair in Jakarta, Indonesia, drew the attention of many countries. FNSS MAV Program Manager Mustafa Kaplan told Anadolu Agency during the fair that one of these countries is Indonesia. In his statement, Kaplan said:
“Last May, the Indonesian Marine Corps Commander visited Turkey and had the opportunity to examine our vehicle. At the same time, we conducted sea trials with him. When they arrived, they expressed how much they liked the vehicle. There is a US solution with similar capabilities to this vehicle, but our vehicle has far superior features. The Indonesian army already has the vehicles I mentioned, and they were overjoyed when they saw ZAHA because of the problems they were having there, and they expressed a strong desire to procure this vehicle very quickly. For this, we brought our vehicle to the fair, giving them the opportunity to see it again and creating an environment in which they could discuss the details. Our hope is to turn it into a contract as soon as possible.”
Aside from Indonesia, potential customers for these vehicles include the United States, China, and Russia, as well as the Gulf countries, which have recently shown a strong interest in Turkish defense industry products.