The Estonian Defence Forces and the country’s Rescue Board have received new armoured vehicles acquired from Turkey.
The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments has handed over nearly fifty newly acquired wheeled armoured vehicles from Turkey to the 2nd Infantry Brigade. Most of these are 6×6 ARMA armoured vehicles used by infantry units, but the Defence Forces have also received 4×4 NMS armoured vehicles, which will be used by combat support units in both the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades.
Additionally, a smaller number of 4×4 armoured vehicles have been procured for the Estonian Rescue Board.
“While weapons systems are often purchased as off-the-shelf solutions, these armored vehicles were designed with the specific needs of the Estonian Defense Forces in mind, both in terms of interior and exterior. Essentially, the machines rolling off the Turkish company’s production line are customized to our requirements and practically ready for use,” Marek Mardo, a strategic category manager at the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments, said in a statement.
The new vehicles provide better protection for Defence Forces personnel against small arms fire as well as mines and shell fragments. Additionally, unit mobility will improve, as the off-road capability of the armoured vehicles is significantly better than the trucks previously used as infantry transport vehicles in the 2nd Infantry Brigade. The armoured vehicles are armed with 12.7mm heavy machine guns.
Additional vehicles for bomb disposal units
The first wheeled armoured vehicles arrived in Estonia at the end of 2024, and conscripts of the 2nd Infantry Brigade have already begun training with them. These vehicles will also be used in the large-scale exercise, the Hedgehog, in May. All ordered vehicles are expected to arrive in Estonia by the end of this year.
In addition to the Defense Forces, four new 4×4 wheeled armoured vehicles, produced in Turkey, will also be primarily used by the Rescue Board’s bomb disposal units, but will also be available for the Police and Border Guard Board and the Internal Security Service if needed.
“In the work of our bomb disposal experts, danger is always present. These armoured vehicles are essential to ensure maximum safety. We have never had such capabilities and equipment before, and this marks a significant step forward in crisis preparedness,” Margo Klaos, the director general of the Estonian Rescue Board, noted.
The vehicle contracts have been signed for ten years, allowing for additional purchases of vehicles and spare parts as needed. The agreements also include provisions for maintenance, repairs, and further development of these vehicles.
