The rhk111 Philippine Defense Updates: Turkey to provide Combat Earthmovers and Turrets to the Philippine Army

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Turkey to provide Combat Earthmovers and Turrets to the Philippine Army

The Saber Turret, Photo courtesy of FNSS

News reports have recently come up about how the Turkish Defense Company FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.S. is providing Amphibious Armored Combat Earthmover (AACE) Vehicles and one-man Stabilized Turrets to the Philippine Army (PA).

For the AACE, the Contract was enforced in November 2020 and includes Training and Logistical Support Services which will be completed by the end of March 2023.

For the one-man Turret, the Contract was enforced in August 2020, integration to PA Vehicles will start in October 2021 and will be completed by December 2021. The Contract also includes Training and Logistical Services. The Turrets will have Day and Night Sights and Fire Control Systems.

‘My Notes - AACE’

News Reports back in February 2020 said that the AACE Contract was supposed to be signed last April 2020 and delivery were to start this Year (2021), so that was pushed out likely due to the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic.

The AACE also has Thermal Cameras for Night operation, Smoke Grenade Dischargers, a Fire Extinguisher System for the Engine and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Protection capability.

‘My Notes – One-man Turret’

No Model was mentioned in the News Reports on which One-man Turret will be provided to the PA, but the FNSS Website only advertises one such Turret and it is the Saber, so that is likely it.

The Saber can be equipped with either a 25 mm cal. Gun, a 40 mm cal. Grenade Launcher or a 12.7 mm cal. Heavy Machine Gun. No indication in the News Reports which ones the PA will install on the Turrets.

The Saber uses Electrical Motors with Manual Back Up to move and has two-axis Stabilization, Day and Night Sights, a Laser Rangefinder and a Ballistic Computer.