Turkish COBRA II Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicles Headed For Ukraine
On Thursday, April 13, video footage of Otokar’s COBRA II 4×4 Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicles recorded in Romania went viral on social media. The video shows about 20 brand new COBRA II 4×4 Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicles being loaded into open carriages of a train supposedly traveling north through the railway crossing in Bacau, Romania. Social media users stated that the train in question was heading to Ukraine, but neither the company nor Kiev have confirmed this. On the other hand, there is no published evidence that the Romanian Ministry of Defense has ordered Turkish Cobra II armored vehicles.
A train carrying over 40 Turkish 4×4 BMC Kirpi armored vehicles was seen moving from the railway station in Bacau, Romania, to Suceava, near Ukraine, at the start of this year. This mine-resistant armored vehicle transfer through Romania was the second party delivery of a 150-vehicle deal negotiated between Ukraine and BMC Defense. The fact that Ukraine purchased Turkish-made BMC Kirpi 4×4 Mine Resistant Armored Vehicles was first disclosed with a video posted on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Kakhovka Operational Group in August 2022. In a telegram post at the time, Yuriy Misyagin, a member of Ukraine’s ruling Servant of the People party, said, “50 Kirpis have already entered the inventory of our army. We expect 150 more to come!”
One of the reasons for the potential of these vehicles being sent to Ukraine is that the delivery route of the train carrying COBRA II vehicles is the same as the delivery route of Kirpi vehicles. This, however, does not guarantee that the end user is Ukraine. If the vehicles are transferred to Ukraine, the Russians, who faced OTOKAR Cobra I in the August 2008 South Ossetia War between Russia and Georgia, will be facing OTOKAR Cobra II this time.
The Cobra II is a Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicle produced by Otokar, one of Turkey’s largest privately owned industrial companies. The COBRA II, according to Otokar, are suitable for all types of conditions in residential and rural locations and perform even in the most difficult terrain conditions. The Cobra II has a carrying capacity of 10 personnel, including the driver, and provides greater protection to personnel than the Cobra due to additional ballistic, mine, and IED protection. The COBRA II, with its optional amphibious capability and wide range of weapon integration and mission equipment options, is suitable for use in a variety of mission types, including urban and peacekeeping missions. The vehicle which features a monocoque structure, lacks a chassis and is fully armored. Cobra II has a total length of 6.4 meters, a width of 2.5 meters, and a weight of 13 tons. The vehicle, powered by a 360-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine, can reach a top speed of 110 km/h and is capable of handling 60% steep slopes and 30% side slopes. The vehicle also includes an internal and external fire suppression system to combat fires that may occur in the vehicle’s personnel or engine compartments.