VURAN Armored Vehicles Equipped With ALKAR 120mm Mortar Weapon System Enter Service With Turkish Security Forces
VURAN Armored Vehicles equipped with the ALKAR 120mm Mortar Weapon System, developed as part of the Turkish Defense Industry Agency’s Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicles project, have been added to the Gendarmerie General Command’s inventory. The Turkish Gendarmerie General Command stated on its official Twitter account, “In order to increase the fire support power in the Anti-Terrorist Operation, 120 mm mortar-mounted VURAN vehicles have been added to the Gendarmerie General Command’s inventory.”
The integration of the ALKAR Mortar Weapons system into the BMC production VURAN multi-purpose 4×4 Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicles, which entered Turkish Armed Forces inventory in 2019, was completed successfully with test-fires the same year. The Vuran 4×4 Mortar Vehicle, developed in collaboration with BMC and ASELSAN in response to inputs and feedback on the needs and operational capabilities of the Turkish Armed Forces, is expected to be added to the Turkish Land Forces Command’s inventory in the near future.
Vuran is a multi-purpose armored vehicle produced by BMC as part of the Turkish Defense Industry Presidency’s Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicles (TTZA) Project. The Turkish Land Forces Command, Gendarmerie General Command, Coast Guard Command, and Naval Forces Command use these vehicles to protect sensitive points or facilities, patrol between police stations, convoy protection, region, point, and road reconnaissance, physical border security, and other counter-terrorism and border duties. According to BMC, the STANAG 4569-rated VURAN provides high protection for its passengers against mines and ballistic threats thanks to its monocoque body, armored cabin and windows, shock-absorbing seats, weapon station, and emergency exit hatch. Special vision systems, automatic fire extinguishing systems, central tire inflation feature, and air conditioning equipment are also included in the vehicles. Vuran, which can carry 9 personnel, has a top speed of 110 kilometers per hour. Vuran can climb a steep slope of 60%, a side slope of 30%, and pass through a depth of 80 centimeters of water.
These vehicles are available in three basic configurations. These are known as “Armored Personnel Carrier,” “Armored CİRİT Launcher,” and “Armored 120mm Mortar Launcher.” Vehicles in the Armored Personnel Carrier configuration are outfitted with ASELSAN’s SARP Remote Controlled Weapon System. Vehicles in the armored CRT Launcher configuration are outfitted with Roketsan’s 8-kilometer CİRİT Laser Guided Missile. Armored 120mm Mortar Launcher vehicles are outfitted with ASELSAN’s ALKAR 120mm Automatic Mortar Weapon System.
ALKAR 120 mm is a Mortar Weapon System integrated on a turret, equipped with an Automatic Levelling System, Automatic Ammunition Loading System, Recoil Mechanism and Fire Control System, all of which were originally designed by ASELSAN, including its sub-systems. Alkar, which means “destroyer” in Turkish, was first seen at the 13th International Defense Industry Fair in 2017. Alkar is Turkey’s first domestic automatic mortar weapon system, and it can be integrated into a variety of vehicles and fixed facilities, including 4X4 vehicles. With its precision electro-mechanical turret system that can rotate 360 degrees, Alkar, which has an Automatic Ammunition Loading System, can shoot at high barrel angles. Alkar, which has a range of 1.5-8 kilometers depending on the barrel type (rifled or smoothbore), can be used with any type of 120mm mortar ammunition (MOD209, MOD226, MOD236, MOD227 etc.). The system, which can be ready to fire in less than a minute, can also be ready to change positions in less than ten seconds.