The Ukrainian military has received its first batch of Turkish-made Kirpi armoured vehicles.
According to some reports, like one from Militarnyi, Turkey has delivered an initial batch of 50 Kirpi mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles to the Ukrainian forces.
New armored vehicles were received by the Marines of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to a Militarnyi report.
The Kirpi (Hedgehog) is produced by the Turkish privately owned company, BMC. As noted by the company, it is practically a legend with its superior level of protection in the mine-resistant vehicle category.
Kirpi was developed and designed to meet the requirements of the Turkish Land Forces Command (TLFC). It is available in several variants of Kirpi 4×4, Kirpi II (4×4), Kirpi 6×6, and Kirpi 4X4 Ambulance.
Kirpi MRAP can be armed with a 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun. A remote-controlled weapons system can be integrated into the vehicle.
Kirpi’s V-shaped hull is made of steel armour and can deflect mine blasts away from the vehicle. The vehicle offers protection from armour-piercing rounds, mines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other ballistic threats up to STANAG 4569 Level 3.