Georgia bolsters defense with Turkish Vuran armored vehicles
5:29 PM EDT, June 14, 2024
Georgian 4th Infantry Brigade in Vaziani celebrated on Thursday the arrival of a special transport from Turkey. The Georgian armed forces have been equipped with Turkish Vuran armored vehicles.
The Turkish news agency Anadolu announced the transfer of military equipment to Georgia. During the ceremonial handover of the military shipment, Turkish Ambassador to Tbilisi Ali Kaan Orbay expressed hope that this equipment would be a testament to Turkey's strong support for Georgia's security, independence, and territorial integrity.
"We believe that these vehicles will play an important role in developing Georgia's deterrence and defense capabilities," Orbay said during the ceremonial handover of the Vuran vehicles to the Georgian army. The agreement for this transport was made many months earlier. Georgia, like many of Russia's neighbors, has been strengthening its army since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
46 BMC Vuran armored combat vehicles have arrived in Tbilisi. These machines meet NATO standards. Georgia is a close partner of the alliance. Ukraine was supposed to be admitted to this structure in 2008, but the US proposal was blocked due to the reluctance of Germany and France.
The Georgians have felt Russian pressure for years, which increased with the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in 2022. Therefore, the country has been arming itself intensively in recent times.
Turkish Vuran military vehicles are already in Georgia
Georgia is keen on expanding its army. Tbilisi also signed an agreement with the Polish company Mesko to deliver air defense systems. These systems will be a new acquisition for the Georgian military, alongside the Vuran vehicles.
The BMC Vuran is a military vehicle that has been in use since 2019. It is currently used by the armed forces of El Salvador, Kosovo, Libya, Turkmenistan, Turkey, and now also Georgia.
This vehicle is over 20 feet long and over 8 feet wide. Inside, it can accommodate a 9-member crew.
The Georgian Vurans have multi-purpose equipment. They are equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system, an independent heater and air conditioning, navigation, smoke grenade launchers, and even a system for detecting gunfire directed at the vehicle.
The vehicle can move through mined areas and can also survive the detonation of an 18-pound explosive device or an anti-tank mine.
Source: Anadolu Agency
