The first Zaha Marine Assault Vehicle (MAV) delivery to the Amphibious Marine Brigade of the Turkish Naval Forces Command (TNFC) was made on 25 March 2023, manufacturer FNSS has announced.
The company did not specify how many vehicles were handed over, but FNSS is under contract to deliver a total of 27 MAV variants to the TNFC, comprising 23 personnel carriers, two command-and-control vehicles and two recovery vehicles.
The MAV was developed under a Turkish Defence Industry Agency (SSB) programme to meet the amphibious armoured vehicle needs of the TNFC, most obviously for operations off the Turkish amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, which was handed over to the Turkish Navy earlier this year.
The MAV can carry 21 troops (including commander, driver and gunner), who can enter and exit the vehicle via a hydraulic ramp at the rear. With what FNSS states is a power-to-weight ratio of 20 hp/ton, the MAV can achieve a speed of 70 km/h on land, 7 kts in the water and has a self-righting capability if capsized, allowing it to operate in harsh conditions at sea.
The vehicle features a CAKA remote-controlled turret that can be armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun and a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.
Although the STANAG 4569 level of ballistic and mine protection of the MAV is classified, according to FNSS it has “higher ballistic and mine protection compared to its predecessors”.
Air conditioning, CBRN protection and an automatic fire suppression system all come as standard.
Peter Felstead
