Aselsan Introduced Its New Unmanned Armoured Combat Vehicle Named ZMA-X
ASELSAN, Turkey’s leading defense company, introduced the ZMA-X Unmanned Armoured Combat Vehicle at Adana’s TEKNOFEST Aviation, Space, and Technology Festival from October 02 to 06.
The ZMA-X is a version of the ACV or ZMA developed by FNSS in the 1990s based on the M113 armored personnel carrier, which Aselsan converted into an unmanned platform. According to Aselsan, this vehicle, equipped with advanced technologies, stands out because it can move autonomously by avoiding obstacles on defined routes. Thanks to its advanced sensors, it also incorporates road recognition and human and vehicle detection capabilities.
At first glance, it can be seen that the new unmanned ground vehicle is equipped with a 25mm chain gun produced by Aselsan and a NEFER turret with additional armor plates, as in the ZMA-15 update. The NEFER weapon system (also known as SARP 100/25), which can be equipped with 25/30mm medium caliber automatic cannons and anti-tank missiles of western or Turkish origin, includes an independent electro-optical sensor and a 7.62mm machine gun and is capable of laser range finding, firing at moving targets, automatic target tracking and automatic ballistic calculation.
In addition to the NEFER turret, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) systems that increase situational awareness were also integrated into the ZMA conversion. Apart from these, the manufacturer did not share any information about the ZMA-X’s systems and capabilities.
In an interview with TRT News about ZMA-X, Ahmet Akyol, General Manager of ASELSAN, said that unmanned systems are technologies that have changed the battlefield all over the world in the recent period, which is why the company is investing especially in land and naval unmanned systems. Akyol also said the following: “Our main purpose in the ZMA transformation is to bring it into the battlefield unmanned in crowded or dangerous areas that endanger human life in the battlefield, and to make it possible to use it there without endangering our people and soldiers with the 25-millimeter gun on it.”
In addition to the ZMA-X, Turkey has two other heavy-class unmanned land vehicle programs, namely Shadow Rider, developed by FNSS, and Alpar, developed by Otokar. It is currently unknown when these UGVs, each at a different stages of development, will be fully ready for use.