Armored amphibious assault vehicle will be in Turkish Navy’s inventory by 2022

New information about the armored amphibious assault vehicle – ZAHA project for use in the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu was shared by Nail Kurt, general manager and CEO of FNSS Defense Systems Company, on the platform

The ZAHA is a vehicle capable of shrinking the distance between the ship and the coast as the fastest way possible as during an amphibious extraction operation. During the landing phase of the operation, it is able to land at sea from the landing ship docks that come aboard, and it proceeds between them high speed, allowing the troops to land in a short time under the protection and with fire support.

Nail Kurt stated that they profited the knowledge of maritime in the ZAHA project and worked with the academicians working in ITU Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering. Kurt also stated that ZAHA, designed specifically for the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship, was a BAE Systems product and that ZAHA’s only counterpart was the American AAV7 platform. BAE Systems is also a partner in the AAV7 product. “We can actually receive a licence from BAE Systems and start producing in Turkey but the Presidency of Defense Industries, instead, wants a unique and national platform”

Kurt stated that they competed with Otokar in the tender opened by the Presidency of Defense Industries and they won the tender and added that Turkey was the second country after the United States to produce such an advanced platform. Underlining that the U.S. has superior aspects of the AAV7 vehicle, Kurt announced that the first prototype was ready.

Explaining that the naval tests of the first armored Amphibious Assault Vehicle – ZAHA-were successfully underway, Kurt said they intended to complete all naval tests by 2021 and they made their planning in that direction. He also stated that they were planning to hand over the first armored amphibious assault vehicle – Zaha to the Turkish Navy in early 2022 after the completion of naval tests in 2021.

Armoured Amphibious Assault Vehicle – ZAHA

ZAHA has high firepower, with its remote command tower housing 12.7 mm MT and 40 mm automatic grenade launchers. ZAHA has three different configurations: Personnel Carrier, Command Vehicle and Recovery Vehicle. The UKSS on the vehicle was designed by FNSS.

The armored amphibious assault vehicle (ZAHA) was designed by FNSS in consideration of the operational concept and mission needs of the Marine Corps Command. ZAHA is expected to be used for the amphibious operations of TCG Anatolia, the new flagship of the Naval Forces Command. 23 amphibious assault personnel vehicles, 2 amphibious assault command vehicles and 2 amphibious assault rescue vehicles will be supplied under the ZAHA project, which will be developed to ensure the safe passage of troops deployed in a landing ship dock towards the targets at sea and on land under harsh conditions.

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