Turkish armored vehicle 'Dragon' en route to Africa

By Goksel Yildirim

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will send the first fleet of the Ejder Yalcin 4x4 tactical armored vehicles -- called "Dragon" in English -- to a North African nation, project developer Nurol Makina said on Tuesday.

The export agreement was signed with the ministry of defense of the African country after the successful completion of the vehicle's desert testing in past months, the company said.

As per the agreement's privacy clause, the name of the country will not be disclosed.

The armored vehicles boast a comprehensive integrated logistics support package, the company added.

The Ejder Yalcin 4x4 has a unique design, with the highest level of protection in its class allowing the vehicle to negotiate all kinds of terrain including off-road, Nurol Makina explained.

According to the website, the vehicle has a crew capacity of 11 and can reach maximum speeds of 110 kph (about 68 mph).

The vehicle is a "dynamic, agile, modular, versatile, easy care and low maintenance combat vehicle", said the company on its website.

An independent international accreditation agency carried out explosion and durability tests and certified the protection features of the Ejder Yalcin 4x4 -- the first time such an international certification has been given in Turkey.

Various weapon systems and a high payload capacity can easily be integrated to the Ejder Yalcin 4x4, the company said.

Optional weapon systems include a 7.62 mm machine gun, a 12.7 mm machine gun, a 25 mm antiaircraft gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher, which can be added to the vehicle, according to information published on the website.

It can boast various configurations such as armored combat, command control, ambulance, armored personnel carrier, border surveillance and security, air defense and mine/handmade explosive detection and destruction vehicles.

"The Ejder Yalcin is a proven vehicle in the country and will now take on important missions abroad," the company general director Engin Akyol said. "It is important for us to maintain this success and export our vehicles to other markets."