BMC Kirpi finally delivered to the Turkish Army.

via Chian.com

The TSK considers the Kirpi vehicles highly important for field operations. The threat of land mines associated with the ongoing civil war in Syria makes the Kirpi even more crucial. The Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) earlier fined BMC 7 million euros for not keeping its end of the deal. 
The Kirpi can hold a crew of 13 and has proven to be better than competing mine-resistant, armored vehicles due to its integrated seating system, which absorbs pressure generated by mine blasts. Moreover, it is equipped with run-flat tires and equipment that adjusts the air in the tires to deal with various surface conditions.

I highlighted the above section of the article because it points to something that everyone forgets.

Ergonomics saves lives.  Blast seats save lives.

The Turks are showing us two things that should trouble the current leaders of the pack when it comes to vehicle production.

1.  Despite there being very credible offerings on the market, they still chose to produce their own vehicle.

2.  Despite a lack of experience in producing MRAPS they were able to produce a capable vehicle.

More importantly even though the Kirpi took a long and tortured path to service, it still got there.  Despite all the naysayers, from my seat it looks like the Turks are cleaning up bad procurement practices while still moving forward.  We should do the same.