Hizir armoured vehicles to African customer

via DefenseWeb.co

Turkish armoured vehicle manufacturer Katmerciler is shipping Hizir armoured vehicles to an African customer, after receiving a $20 million order last year.

The order, announced in July 2019, is Katmerciler’s first export order for the Hizir armoured vehicle.

The company on 20 July said the vehicles have been loaded onto a ship headed for the undisclosed African country. Deliveries will be completed by the end of this year.

Katmerciler said it expects a high level of export income in 2020 and anticipates approximately $45 million in export revenue by the end of the year.

Making a statement after the first batch of Hizir vehicles were loaded for shipping, Katmerciler Deputy Chief Executive Furkan Katmerci said, “Hizir was our first armoured combat vehicle export. We want to repeat the export success we have achieved by civilian equipment for many years in the field of defence. We opened another door with Hizir. We will continue this success with our Hizir and other qualified vehicles that we have developed for different needs.”

“As Katmerciler, we have successfully implemented measures to keep the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic to a minimum. We continued our activities without interruption. Thanks to our precautions, we did not have any employment losses and we did not have to benefit from state supports such as short-term work allowance or minimum wage support.”

The Hizir vehicle recently entered service with Turkey’s military. It can carry nine personnel, including driver and commander. The vehicle has a gross weight of 16 tons and has a V-hull for landmine and improvised explosive device protection. It is powered by a Cummins six-cylinder diesel developing 400 hp, giving a top speed of 110 km/h and range of 700 kilometres.

The Hizir can be built in a number of configurations, including combat, command and control, CBRN, weapon carrier, ambulance, reconnaissance and border security. It can be fitted with an Aselsan SARP turret with machineguns or an automatic grenade launcher.

Katmerciler was established in 1985 and has developed 30 vehicles, ranging from fire trucks to armoured vehicles and riot control vehicles. Its defence and security portfolio includes the Khan 4×4 armoured personnel carrier with seating for eight, the Nefer 4×4 armoured command and patrol vehicle, Toma riot control vehicle, a 4×4 armoured ambulance built on a Ford F550 chassis, Ates armoured border security vehicle, and Kirac criminal investigation vehicle. It also offers an armoured backhoe loader, remote controlled armoured tracked excavator, armoured fuel tanker, armoured water tanker, armoured tipper, armoured trailer, armoured remote controlled bulldozer, remote controlled firefighter, armoured telescopic forklift and a riot control shield.

In June 2019 Katmerciler received an order for water cannon vehicles worth $2.2 million from an African customer.

I saw this vehicle in Turk service (I believe) and it was serving as a border patrol vehicle with a couple of huge masts at the rear of the vehicle...one with a E/O contraption on it.

Wonder how this undisclosed country will use it?