Nigeria to receive 13 Turkish Nurol Makina Yörük 4×4 armored vehicles
As reported by Military Africa on January 29, 2024, the Turkish company Nurol Makina recently signed a contract with Asisguard, another Turkish company specializing in electro-optical and border security systems. The contract entails the export of 13 Yörük 4×4 tactical protected vehicles, also known as NMS 4×4, to Nigeria as part of a larger border security project.
The contract was formally signed at Nurol Makina’s facilities by Barış Düzgün, the CEO of Asisguard, and Engin Aykol, the CEO of Nurol Makina. Düzgün highlighted that this contract is the result of 2.5 years of ongoing work in Nigeria, where they secured a $36.5 million project aimed at providing an integrated border security solution for the country.
This extensive project involves cooperation with Havelsan, STM, and approximately 10 other Turkish companies, including Gürbağ Savunma and MILMAST. Its primary objective is to enhance security along a troubled highway connecting Abuja and Kaduna, the capital of Nigeria, utilizing locally produced systems and technological products.
The project will encompass Nurol Makina’s 4×4 tactical protected vehicles and STM’s unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance and surveillance. Furthermore, the project will feature Asisguard’s Songar drones, equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and the ability to integrate with automatic firearms and grenade launchers. Some Songar drones are already in use by the Nigerian police and military, with at least 10 armed drones supplied to the Nigerian counter-terrorism forces in October 2022.
Under the terms of the contract, 13 NMS 4X4 vehicles will be exported for the Nigerian road security project. This will bring the total number of countries using NMS 4X4 to five, indicating their growing recognition in the global market. Aykol expressed his goal of completing the vehicle deliveries within the year. It is noteworthy that Estonia has also recently decided to purchase these vehicles.
The NMS 4×4 tactical protected vehicle, introduced by Nurol Makina at the 2017 International Defense Exhibition (IDEF) in Türkiye, is a versatile vehicle characterized by its monocoque body design. With dimensions measuring 4.9 meters in length, 2.4 meters in width, and 2.1 meters in height, it can accommodate up to nine occupants, including the driver, commander, and passengers in front and rear seating configurations.
An outstanding feature of the NMS is its adaptability regarding protection levels, allowing it to be customized according to mission requirements with scalable armor and composite materials. Weighing in at 10,000 kilograms, the vehicle is equipped with doors on both sides, featuring small bulletproof windows in the upper sections, along with additional bulletproof windows in the troop compartment’s rear part and on the rear side of the hull.
Propelled by a 300-horsepower diesel engine coupled with an automatic transmission, the NMS 4×4 can achieve a maximum road speed of 140 km/h and boasts a cruising range of 700 kilometers. Its off-road capabilities are impressive, with the ability to handle side slopes of up to 40%, gradients of 70%, and the capability to cross natural or man-made obstacles up to 900 millimeters in height and trenches up to 0.9 meters in width. The vehicle also features a self-protection mechanism in the form of a remote weapon station mounted on the crew compartment’s roof.