Kazakhstan is set to commence local production of OTOKAR’s tracked armored vehicles following a presidential visit to a major defense manufacturing facility, according to Kazinform on January 3, 2026. The initiative underscores Astana’s broader strategy to enhance defense self-sufficiency and modernize its domestic military industrial base.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev confirmed the plans during a December 24, 2025, visit to the Besqaru Defense Industrial Plant, where he highlighted efforts to expand indigenous production of advanced military platforms. Kazinform reported that the announcement was made during a high-level inspection focused on strengthening Kazakhstan’s defense manufacturing capabilities.
Located in the Karaganda region, the Besqaru facility has already established local production of Turkish-origin wheeled armored vehicles, including the Taimas 8×8—based on OTOKAR’s Arma platform—and the Aibar 4×4, derived from the amphibious Cobra II. The planned introduction of a tracked armored vehicle line marks a major milestone toward achieving a comprehensive domestic defense production ecosystem.
Although authorities have not officially disclosed the model, defense sources cited by Army Recognition indicate that the OTOKAR Tulpar tracked infantry fighting vehicle is the most likely candidate. If confirmed, this would represent the first instance of a modern tracked IFV being produced domestically in Central Asia.
The Tulpar is a next-generation tracked IFV engineered to operate alongside main battle tanks in high-threat combat environments. It features a modular armor architecture with scalable protection levels up to STANAG 4569 Level 5, a 720-horsepower diesel engine, high off-road mobility, and a maximum speed exceeding 70 km/h.
