Otokar Arma

     Notes: The Arma is a medium wheeled APC just beginning its career in Turkey, and getting some interest from foreign buyers.  It is a simple APC designed with modular weaponry, advanced armor technology with the ability to take appliqué armor, and the ability to be used as a platform for a number of tactical vehicles.  Otokar began development of the Arma as a private venture in 2007, when Turkey was undergoing a number of measures to modernize its armed forces; though it started the project with no sure future, the Turkish Army chose it to re-equip part of its mechanized forces recently. Turkey plans to have a force of 336 Armas in varying roles by 2015.

     At its heart, the layout of the Arma is conventional, with a driver’s position on the front right, a commander’s position behind it, and the troop compartment at the rear.  The driver has conventional controls and has a small bullet-resistant windshield to his front and wedge-shaped bullet-resistant windows to his sides; there are no provisions for night vision integrated into the driver’s compartment, but the driver is normally issued night vision goggles and the Arma does have a pair of IR headlights.  The commander’s position is normally to the rear of the driver and slightly offset towards the left.  This position can be as simple as having a simple hatch ringed with vision blocks and armed with a pintle mounted weapon, or it can have an RWS or small turret.  If the driver’s hatch is locked open (which is in the vertical), the hatch unfortunately obstructs the commander’s position on a normal pintle mount, with the weapon barely being able to fire over it.  The Turkish Army plans for most of its Armas to be armed with one of three differently-armed RWSs, with Armas having simple commander’s stations being reserved for specialist vehicles (such as the variants announced so far). Troop access is primarily via a large door in the rear, two firing ports are found in each side and one in rear door.  The troops sit down the sides of the vehicle; interior space is fairly cramped for the troops inside, but includes a number of lockers and underseat storage bins for equipment.  Four smoke grenade launchers are found on each side of the vehicle, at the top of the side plates towards the rear of the vehicle.  The APC version has a GPS set.

     The Arma is powered by a 450-horsepower turbocharged engine and has an automatic transmission.  The fuel tanks are at the rear and external to the vehicle (like those on the M-113A3), though fully armored and with self-sealing features.  The armor is more protective than one might expect from its class of vehicle due to its utilization of modern armor composition standards, and the Turkish Army is expected to take advantage of MEXAS appliqué composite armor in some roles.  The Arma does not have an MRAP hull, but the high ground clearance and advanced armoring on the belly make it more resistant to mines and IEDs; the crew and troops also have seats designed to help take up the shock of mine explosions.  The 6x6 off-road suspension can be switched to 6x4 for road use, and has decent hydropneumatic shock absorption.  The Arma is amphibious, propelled by steerable propellers at the rear in the water, and those propellers being controlled by the driver by the use of joystick controllers on either side of him.  Steering is by the front wheels, but they can be steered to extreme angles and the Arma’s turning radius is only 7.85 meters.

     The Turkish have announced a number of variants, including a longer 8x8 version of the APC in late 2011.  (It should be noted that the 8x8 version is switchable to 8x4 for road use.) A fire control version is expected with a heavy autocannon (not featured on this page).  APC-type variants include a command version (in 6x6 and 8x8 configurations), an NBC reconnaissance vehicle, an intelligence version with a ground surveillance radar and enhanced night vision equipment, and an EW version which is both a radar/radio finder and signals intelligence vehicles designed to detect enemy electromagnetic emissions and conduct signals intelligence.

     The command version is equipped with a Battlefield Management System, and is basically a motorized and computerized command post.  It has the general features of a BMS-equipped vehicle, with the computer and digital storage space and stations, monitors for combat information and mapping, and monitoring of friendly and known enemy positions.  There is space for conventional command supplies such as maps and office/plotting gear well as simple radio information and the means to change friendly codes remotely as on the SINGARS system.  The command version is typically armed with a simple pintle-mounted weapon.  It carries two long-range radios, one of which is fully data capable to allow BMSs to talk to each other or for the BMS to transmit to independent tactical computers and systems.  It also has two medium-range radios and one short-range radio, as well as a mast which can be erected during halts to increase radio range.  The command version has a short, external mast with a laser rangefinder and vision equipment.

     The NBC reconnaissance version is fully NBC sealed and has the means and instruments to detect, analyze, and categorize such threats, including sampling of outside air and taking samples off of the ground or other surfaces and plants through the use of two manipulator arms.  The NBC reconnaissance version normally has an RWS, since it may have to fight while NBC-sealed and has an overpressure system.  It has air conditioning and adequate heating, since it is sealed. It has one data-capable long-range radio, a second long-range radio, and two short-range radios.  It also has a small computer to help the crew to analyze NBC threats and transmit its findings to higher headquarters. NBC reconnaissance versions are 6x6,

     The EW version’s primary mission is signals intelligence.  As such, it’s equipment can scan up to six bands of radio at one time, with the vehicle’s onboard computer searching for various keywords and phrases and transmission patterns.  The crew can actively listen in on up to four frequencies.  It can listen in on these frequencies and scan the bands at a range of 40 kilometers.  Radio detection range is 50 kilometers.  It can also detect radar, at a range of 40 kilometers.  It can also sort out whether the radio communications are voice streams or data streams.  To a limited extent, it can detect the electronic emissions of computers, though it cannot hack into these devices; range for this is 10 kilometers.  The EW version has a simple commander’s station. As far as radios, the EW version has one long-range data-capable radio, one medium-range radio, and one short-range radio. EW versions are 6x6.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Arma is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

*Roof AV is 3; Floor AV is 6Sp.

**Roof AV is 4; Floor AV is 7Sp.

Otokar Akrep APC

     Notes:  This is a stretched version of the Akrep (Scorpion) light armored vehicle, and is basically an armored truck based on the Land Rover Defender 90/100 chassis.  The Akrep is basically a simple vehicle that is little more than an armored truck. Aside from Turkey, the only other user is Iraq (the new Iraq Army and police); The Iraqis are actually the largest users of the Akrep, with 600 vehicles bought.

     The driver and commander are in a front cab, behind the engine compartment.  The commander and driver have a large two-piece bullet-resistant windshield to the front and good-sized bullet-resistant windows to their sides.  They enter and exit through doors in the sides of the cab, and can also reach their position through the troop compartment.  The troops can be seated down the center of the vehicle or along the sides, and have three firing ports on the on the left side, two on the right side, one in the rear, and one in the right rear corner.  The roof has a hatch surrounded by a rotating gun AV 2 shield, and the rear hull has a large door for troops to enter and depart.  The gunner has a raisable platform for him to stand on.  The gunner’s position has WL spotlight for him to operate.

     Engine power is a 134-horsepower diesel engine, with 4x4 suspension.  Nonetheless, the Akrep APC is best suited for road use instead of off-road use. The vehicle has run-flat tires and a winch in the front bumper with a capacity of 3.6 tons.  Optional equipment includes sirens, flashing lights, loudspeakers, smoke grenade launchers, and other such equipment.

Otokar Cobra

     Notes:  This is a Turkish light armored personnel carrier based on an expanded version of the HMMWV chassis.  Variants include two types of reconnaissance cars, a command vehicle, an ambulance, a mortar carrier, and a TOW II ATGM carrier; only the APC-type versions will be detailed on this page. The Cobra is a light and agile light APC, used by 19 countries.  It has seen combat service in Georgia and South Ossetia (Georgia is the largest user of the Cobra), in use by Slovenia as part of IFOR and KFOR, and in Algeria during various border wars and internal instabilities.  The Turks have used them against Kurdish rebels, even sending some into raids into northern Iraq. In 2010, the Bangladeshi Police bought 7 of them, and the Bangladeshi Army is currently evaluating 24 examples loaned from Otokar and will probably buy them and more.

     The Cobra has been altered almost unrecognizably from its HMMWV roots, though a look under the armor and at the interior would tell the observer that it is a HMMWV wearing armor.  The driver and commander ride up front, behind bullet-resistant windshields.  They have one bullet-resistant windshield on each side of them.  They have no separate doors; they enter and exit through the crew compartment. There are doors on either side of the hull for crew access, and a large door in the rear of the hull for rapid dismount of troops.  There are two firing ports in either side of the passenger compartment. On the roof is a small turret with a weapon. Alternatively, the weapon can be externally mounted and aimed and fired from either a hatch in the roof or remotely from inside the hull. To the rear of the turret are two small hatches on the rear deck.

     The Cobra is powered by a 190-horsepower turbocharged diesel, coupled to a manual transmission.  The Cobra is amphibious, powered by propellers in the water; the driver controls these propellers via joysticks, and can turn them 180 degrees.  The frontal armor is sharply-raked, and the side armor and rear armor is moderately sloped, providing better protection than might be expected from such a light vehicle.  The Cobra has an MRAP hull.

     APC-type variants include an ambulance.  As the Cobra is a rather small vehicle, it makes for a sort of barebones type of ambulance, though it does have an improved shock absorption system to ease the ride.  The Cobra Ambulance does have room for a small refrigerator, the equivalent of one doctor’s medical bag and 10 personal medical kits, and a small assortment of slings, bandages, burn treatments, and splints.  Though up to four stretcher cases can be carried, the room for the medic to attend to his charges is very limited; more commonly, two stretcher cases and up to 4 seated casualties, or six seated casualties are carried.  The Cobra ambulance is equipped with air conditioning as well as an improved heater.  The Ambulance is unarmed.

     The Cobra CCV (Command and Control Vehicle) is fitted with at least three radios (one long-range with data capability, one medium-range, and one short-range), a map board, and a ruggedized laptop computer, as well as a set of folding tables and chairs (strapped to the outside).  On the roof of the vehicle is fitted a dish for a ground surveillance radar and a mast for long-range antennas, and inside is also a SATCOM terminal, a video camera, GPS, and better night vision.  The night vision output can be relayed to the onboard computer. The CCV is meant to carry the equipment for a mobile command post; the actual command personnel ride in other vehicles. The CCV has a simple pintle mount with a light weapon.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This vehicle does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

*See Notes for Crew and passenger capacity.

**Floor AV is 4Sp.

Otokar Kaya

      Notes: The Kaya is Turkey’s first domestically-produced MRAP-hull vehicle, based on a Unimog 500 cross-country truck and given an armored hull and V-shaped floor.  As early 2011, the production lines stand open, but no orders have yet been made for the Kaya.  The Kaya was a private venture by Otokar, but with the success of the Arma, Otokar has a reasonable chance to expect sales of the Kaya any day now.

     The Kaya essentially takes the form of an armored truck, with the engine at the front, a cab behind it, and a rear troop compartment with a gunner’s position included.  In that, it looks like many current MRAP designs. The front cab is behind a large frontal bullet-resistant windshield and a window to either side; the driver and commander enter the cab through doors in the sides of the cab and the cab is separated from the troop compartment by an armored bulkhead.  The gunner’s position can be as simple as a cupola ringed by gun shields or be an RWS with various types of weapons.  The troops have typical shock-absorbing seats that are found in an MRAP.  Three firing ports are found on each side and one in the rear; access for the troops is via a large door in the rear.  Seating is down the sides of the rear, except for the gunner’s position.  The front bumper or top of the rear sides have a bank of four grenade launchers on each side.

     The Kaya is powered by a 218-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine, coupled to an automatic transmission.  The driver has conventional controls as one might find on a truck.  The suspension is 4x4 and has a high ground clearance with specially-designed, beefed-up suspension components, including heavy-gauge axles, more-than-adequate shock absorption, and puncture-resistant, run-flat tires.  The hull channels away blasts from the body of the vehicle; a blown-off wheel can be replaced in less than an hour with proper service vehicles and parts.  In addition to the MRAP hull, more advanced armor is employed.  No appliqué armor is currently envisioned, but this is a possibility for the future.

     The only currently-announced variant is a logistics carrier, which takes away the troop section and replaces it with a flatbed, open cargo-carrying section with rollers, tie-down, and lock-down points and a light crane for materiel handling and with a capacity of 2 tons.  The cargo section is covered by a truck-like canvas and bows.  The commander’s position has a roof hatch, and this has a pintle-mounted weapon.

     Twilight 20000 Notes: The Kaya is not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

*Floor AV is 6Sp.

**Floor AV is 6Sp.  However, only the cab is fully armored; the rear cargo section has drop sides which only cover about one-quarter of the cargo section when raised, and these have an AV of 2, and no roof AV.