HORIBA MIRA signs deal with Turkish defence firm
HORIBA MIRA, a global provider of engineering, research and test services to the automotive, defence, aerospace and rail sectors, has signed a deal with a consortium including Turkish defence company Katmerciler.
The consortium, which also includes Savronik and Delta, will now work to develop MIRA’s state-of-the-art unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) platform VIKING to meet specific Turkish requirements.
The UGV can be integrated with various payloads including the detection of improvised explosive devices, remote surveillance and soldier support.
The agreement for strategic international cooperation was formally signed at the 2018 Turkish British Tatlıdil Forum, in the UK – a forum established in 2011 to improve political, economic and cultural ties between the UK and Turkey.
he talks were chaired by former Home Secretary Jack Straw and attended by Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who was in the UK on a state visit and for meetings with Theresa May.
The Turkish Undersecretary of Defence Industries (SSM), İsmail Demir also attended the meeting.
The HORIBA MIRA team will provide their expertise in developing the prototype platform – an unmanned ground vehicle complete with autonomous technology and an advanced hybrid powertrain.
Declan Allen, managing director at HORIBA MIRA, said: “This deal further represents how HORIBA MIRA is viewed on the world stage as a world-leader in high-tech autonomous vehicles. It is testament to the reputation of our engineers that we are the go-to company for developing innovative vehicles for the defence industry.”
