Refusing $4.5 Billion ARMA Supply from Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan Ministry of Defense Denies Reports of ARMA Armored Vehicle Procurement
The Kazakhstan Ministry of Defense has recently responded to allegations made by Kazakh press outlet Orda regarding the procurement of 834 Otokar ARMA Armored Combat Vehicles worth 4.5 billion dollars. The ministry issued a statement denying the claims, stating that no agreement had been signed between the Ministry of Defense and the Turkish company “Otokar” for the purchase of armored vehicles.
The ministry clarified that while Otokar is one of the armored vehicle manufacturers whose samples are being evaluated, there has been no formal agreement for the supply of armored vehicles. The ministry further emphasized that the evaluation process includes samples from other foreign vehicle manufacturers as well. Currently, Otokar’s 8×8 armored vehicles, along with domestic armored vehicles, are undergoing pilot tests to determine a suitable sample of equipment based on technical requirements.
The Ministry of Defense stressed that its priority in selecting samples for the defense department is the quality of products recognized by both local and international experts. However, the ministry did not provide any statement regarding the claim that the total value of the tender is 2 trillion tenge (approximately 4.5 billion dollars).
In recent years, Otokar has been actively involved in activities in Kazakhstan. The company’s TULPAR Armored Combat Vehicle and ARMA 8×8 Tactical Wheeled Armored Vehicle have been undergoing various tests in the country. The tested ARMA configuration includes the NEFER Tower developed by ASELSAN, while vehicles with integrated Russian-made 2K23 Tower have also been tested.
The Ministry of Defense’s response comes in light of the need to clarify misinformation circulating on social networks. As the responsible entity for the country’s defense capability, the ministry aims to ensure the procurement of high-quality weapons and military equipment recognized by experts both locally and internationally.
The source of this information is DefenseIndustryST.com.
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