The first five vehicles that were modernized within the scope of the “Armoured Combat Vehicles (ACV) Modernization Project” signed between the Defence Industry Agency and ASELSAN were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces with a ceremony held on 1^st December.

Head of Defense Industry Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir conveyed the following statements in his opening speech: ‘’Having a powerful weapon system, agile, fast and sustainable operational capability are essential abilities for ground elements. It is important to design versatile vehicles that combine the firepower and manoeuvrability of Armoured Combat Vehicles, and additionally enable the transfer of manpower to actually capture the target and do this quickly in the most effective way. We are witness to this today. It is possible to further increase the capabilities of vehicles by using the developing technology and the opportunities our country has. As you can see today, we can turn a 30-year-old vehicle into a modern combat vehicle with interventions. The ACVs, which are currently in the inventory of the Land Forces Command, have been supplied with the most comprehensive contract signed following the establishment of our Presidency and have been working successfully for many years, and it is possible to say that we have taken their duties to a completely different dimension with these touches. With the ACV modernization project, by integrating modern unmanned turrets into our vehicle with 134 old generation gun turrets, the vehicles’ firepower, threat detection and warning systems, survivability and mobility have been maximized with improvements in power and transmission systems.’’

ASELSAN Chairman of the Board and General Manager Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün said: ‘’ With the confidence it receives from our national security force, ASELSAN strives to meet the needs of our Turkish Armed Forces with the most effective and modern systems. In line with this purpose, we are experiencing the joy of successfully completing a modernization we have undertaken with the aim of increasing the survivability and firepower of 134 Armoured Combat Vehicles in the inventory of our Land Forces Command, gaining situational awareness, positioning and direction-finding ability, improving the comfort conditions for the mission, and delivering the first platform. Within the scope of this project, Armored Combat Vehicles, which were produced by FNSS and added to the inventory of our Land Forces about 30 years ago, are equipped with many capabilities to meet the battlefield needs of today and the future. The most distinctive of these systems and capabilities is the NEFER weapon system, which will make a difference with its firepower superiority on the battlefield and feature the first 25 mm unmanned gun turret in the TAF inventory. While our NEFER weapon system was a ready-made product developed by ASELSAN, it was redesigned and produced specifically for the project in line with the needs of our Land Forces and proved itself through rigorous tests. In this way, a new product with superior features has emerged, while providing the highest level of user satisfaction. Dear participants, we see the experience we gained in the ACV modernization project as an opportunity for the unmanned ACV vehicle we aim to be in the future. With the Unmanned ACV, we aim to offer the operation opportunity that minimizes the personnel risk for our Land Forces.’’ 

At the ceremony held 1^st December, Prof. Dr. İsmail Demir and other visitors watched the ACV and KORKUT shootings in the indoor shooting range.