The Estonian Centre for Defence Investment (ECDI) is currently determining which candidate will emerge from its recent 4×4 armoured vehicle trials to be selected to equip the Estonian Land Forces.
The ECDI announced toward the end of April 2023 that, having initially evaluated armoured 4×4 candidates from Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Israel, Spain and Turkey, it had moved to the final stage of the project with four platforms: the Otokar Cobra II, the BMC Amazon, and the NMS and Ejder Yalcin from Nurol Makina.
These vehicles have then been trialled at a location near Tapa, northern Estonia, where the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) have a substantial base, so that the capabilities of the 4×4s could be demonstrated negotiating various obstacles – such as water, slopes, and ascents – and consequently assessed against EDF requirements.
After evaluating the results of the trials and conducting final negotiations with a winning contender, a procurement contract is scheduled to be signed in the second quarter of this year.
As a result, the Land Forces’ 1st and 2nd Brigades will receive armoured vehicles within approximately two years, the ECDI stated in a press release.
“The main aim of the procurement is to arm the 2nd Brigade and for that we will need to deliver over 200 vehicles in both 6×6 and 4×4,” Karmo Saar, the ECDI’s Air Force, Navy and Armoured Equipment Category Manager, told ESD on 18 May. “Both the tenders for 6×6 and 4×4 are still ongoing and the results are not yet decided,” he added.
Peter Felstead
