UAE To Bolster Armored Vehicle Fleet
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The deal, signed at the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces with NIMR Automotive, a member of Tawazun group, will provide for the supply of six-wheel-drive Nimr APCs and four-wheel-drive Nimr MPCVs.
The UAE Armed Forces purchased 500 MPCVs that were delivered between 2007 and 2011 and are used primarily by the elite Presidential Guard units.
Another 800 MPCVs were purchased in February, and the intent to purchase another 1,000 vehicles was announced at the International Defense Exhibition in Abu Dhabi.
The latest announcement is a culmination of that work, according to a UAE source. The vehicles will be delivered within the next five years to the armed forces, he added.
The purchase of the six-wheel-drive APC will be the first for the UAE military. The carrier was revealed and launched in January, and was designed and manufactured in the UAE over 18 months, according to Tawazun.
NIMR developed the vehicle based on requirements from the armed forces to withstand desert heat and provide comfort and protection to troops on board.
“We have tested the vehicle in all terrains, and it can handle 7.62mm armor-piercing rounds, and has run-flat tires with a central tire inflation system.”
The 14-ton vehicle has a range of 700 kilometers on one tank of fuel, has a top speed of 135 kilometers per hour, and can withstand chemical, biological and nuclear attacks.
“The air conditioning system is designed to operate by blocking out poisonous materials from biological, chemical and nuclear environments,” the spokesman added.
The Armed Forces General Headquarters said the decision to purchase the two variants emanated from its keen interest to keep abreast of the latest in global defense industries and to support national industrial capabilities.
Tawazun CEO H.E. Saif Mohamed Al Hajeri expressed determination to use all resources, capabilities, expertise and best practices to ensure timely delivery of the vehicles.
The contract is timed with the company’s plans to open its state-of-the-art facilities within Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi to meet the huge demand for Nimr armored vehicles, said NIMR Automotive CEO Fahad Saif Harhara. [via]
