On Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus or RKIK, also known by its English acronym EDCI) announced the delivery of the first batch of nearly 50 wheeled armored vehicles, Otokar Arma 6×6 and Nurol Makina NMS 4×4, to the Estonian Defence Forces (Eesti Kaitsevägi) and forces under the Ministry of the Interior. These vehicles are part of a total order of 224 units from Turkey.
Photos: Kermo Pastarus, RKIK
Most of the delivered vehicles are Arma transporters, which have been assigned to the 2nd Infantry Brigade (2. jalaväebrigaad), headquartered in Sirgü, and will later also be supplied to the 1st Infantry Brigade (1. jalaväebrigaad), headquartered in Tapa. Meanwhile, the NMS vehicles have been delivered to the Estonian Rescue Board (Päästeamet).
“While weapons systems are often purchased as off-the-shelf solutions, in the case of these armored vehicles, the design of both their interior and exterior has been tailored to meet the needs of the Estonian Defence Forces. Essentially, the machines rolling off the production line of the Turkish company are customized to our specifications and are practically ready for use. In Estonia, only communication equipment and other necessary gear need to be installed,” said Marek Mardo, Category Manager for Air, Water, and Combat Vehicles at the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (RKIK).
“In recent years, we have rapidly accelerated the acquisition of new capabilities for the Estonian Defence Forces, and the newly arrived armored vehicles are a great example of how to enhance defense capabilities—providing our defenders with the confidence that the equipment they use helps save lives and offers better conditions for protecting Estonia. In the near future, I will present proposals to the government on how to further strengthen Estonia’s defense capabilities to respond to the changing security situation,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
“I am very pleased that our soldiers are significantly better protected in the new armored vehicles, making them more capable of carrying out their tasks. The training of conscripts has started successfully, and we are also looking forward to welcoming our reservists to the Siil large-scale exercise so they can familiarize themselves with the new vehicles as well. I am confident that both the armored vehicles and the other capabilities acquired for the 2nd Infantry Brigade, as well as for other military units, will enable us to defend Estonia effectively against any adversary,” said Colonel Antti Viljaste, Commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade.
On October 18, 2023, during the visit of Turkish Minister of Defense Yaşar Güler to Tallinn, a 220 million EUR contract was signed for the delivery of a total of 224 armored vehicles, including 112 Otokar Arma 6×6 transporters worth 130 million EUR and 112 Nurol Makina NMS 4×4 vehicles worth 90 million EUR.
The Arma 6×6 is a wheeled armored personnel carrier produced by Otokar Automotive, which can be integrated with various weapon systems, including remotely controlled weapon stations, turrets, and combat modules armed with machine guns of different calibers, automatic grenade launchers, 30 mm autocannons, and even 90 mm or 105 mm cannons. This versatility allows it to serve as an armored personnel carrier, infantry fighting vehicle, fire support vehicle, self-propelled mortar, command vehicle, medical evacuation vehicle, CBRN reconnaissance vehicle, or reconnaissance vehicle.
The vehicle is powered by a water-cooled, turbocharged diesel engine with 450 hp, providing a maximum speed of 105 km/h. The base version has a curb weight of 18.5 tons and a payload capacity of an additional 4.5 tons. There is also an extended 8×8 variant. The Arma family of vehicles has been adopted by the armed forces of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, while Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are among the potential future buyers.
The NMS 4×4 light tactical vehicles, also known as Yörük, are produced by Nurol Makina. Among the competing offers tested by the Estonians since March of this year were the Otokar Cobra II, BMC Amazon, and another vehicle from Nurol Makina, the Ejder Yalçın.
The NMS Yörük, in various configurations, will be used as infantry transporters, command vehicles, air defense, or anti-tank defense vehicles. The base version can transport up to 9 soldiers, including the commander and driver. It measures 4.9 meters in length, 2.4 meters in width, and 2.1 meters in height, with a weight of 8 tons and an additional payload capacity of 4 tons. The vehicle is powered by a 300 hp diesel engine, paired with an automatic transmission, enabling a maximum speed of 140 km/h and a range of up to 700 km. It can be armed with a 12.7 mm or 7.62 mm heavy machine gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. The NMS Yörük can tackle inclines of up to 70 degrees, side slopes of up to 40 degrees, vertical obstacles up to 0.5 meters, and water obstacles up to 0.9 meters.
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