The new factory is expected to meet not only the needs of the Hungarian Defence Forces but would also produce for export and create at least 200 new jobs and involve a wide network of domestic suppliers.
The Turkish military industrial company Nurol Makina and its Hungarian subsidiary, together with representatives of N7 National Defence Industrial Innovation Holding Zrt and Rába Automotive Holding Nyrt of Hungary, signed a declaration on 31 October on the intent of producing armoured combat vehicles in Hungary.
The aim of the joint venture is to produce armoured combat vehicles named Gidrán for the Hungarian Defence Forces in Hungary. N7 Holding Zrt. will not only carry out manufacturing and assembly tasks, but also research and development and innovation activities in the country.
The Hungarian Defence Forces have ordered a total of fifty Gidran combat vehicles under a former agreement, but according to previous information, up to four hundred more could be delivered to the troops. The production of these combat vehicles will take place in Győr, as part of the Turkish–Hungarian military cooperation, involving a wide network of suppliers.
The Gidrán 4×4 is a new generation MRAP/M-ATV military vehicle based on the Ejder Yalçın, produced by the Turkish company Nurol Makina. The original Turkish name of the vehicle is Ejder, which means dragon, but the Hungarian Defence Forces named it Gidrán (Gidran), after a Hungarian horse breed once used by Hungarian hussars. It features a V-shaped hull design, integrating floating floor plates and blast mitigation seating to provide protection against mines and IEDs. It can accommodate up to 11 personnel and can carry a payload of up to 4 tons. The vehicle is equipped with optionally integrated, remote-controlled and manually-operated weapon stations. It is fitted with two gun ports on the roof. The optional armament mounted on the vehicle includes 7.62mm and 12.7mm machine guns, a 25mm anti-aircraft gun and a 40mm automatic grenade launcher.
The first armoured vehicles were delivered to the Hungarian Defence Forces in February 2021. The final fitting of the Gidrán combat vehicle had already started in Hungary by that time, as the additional radar and weapon systems were integrated into the basic vehicle manufactured by Nurol Makina in Kaposvár. This activity will remain in Kaposvár. From now on, however,
the vehicle itself will be produced in Hungary, in Győr at Rába, a company with more than a century and a half of industrial history.
Commenting on the agreement, Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that Hungarian force development is ‘moving forward with confidence’. He added that the Hungarian government had already recognised in 2015 that the ‘era of threats’ was approaching, and that the Central European region was facing increasingly serious security challenges. Therefore, the Hungarian armed forces must be rearmed and prepared to guarantee the protection of the lives and assets of the Hungarian people.
The Minister said that this also includes making Hungary independent from supplier risks. In other words, a strong defence industry must be built, and it must be built in such a way that it serves not only the development of the armed forces, but also the development of the Hungarian economy. He stressed that Hungary sees Turkey as a strategic partner in that endeavour.
According to the plans, the new factory would not only meet the needs of the Hungarian Defence Forces but would also produce for export and create at least 200 new jobs and involve a wide network of domestic suppliers.
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