Kazakhstan eyes tracked light tank as part of domestic armoured vehicle push photo

Kazakhstan has announced plans to begin domestic production of a light tank based on Otokar’s Tulpar infantry fighting vehicle platform and equipped with the Italian-made Leonardo 120mm HITFACT MkII turret, following President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to defence manufacturing facilities in Astana.

During a visit to the Besqaru plant, company officials briefed the president on ongoing manufacturing activities and near-term production plans, confirming that production of the light tank variant is scheduled to begin next year, as per Turkish media.

Tokayev toured the company’s production workshops, where Besqaru is involved in the manufacture and technical maintenance of both wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles.

According to Besqaru, the company plans to produce up to 200 amphibious wheeled armoured vehicles, including the Taimas 8×8 and the Aibar 4×4 models. These vehicles are localised versions derived from armoured platforms developed by Turkish defence manufacturer Otokar.

The production facility was launched in February 2025 with a total investment of 13.5 billion tenge (approximately $26 million) and currently provides 134 jobs. Besqaru supplies its products to the Kazakhstan Ministry of Defence as well as other law enforcement agencies.

Company representatives said the planned light tank will use the Tulpar chassis as its base platform. The Tulpar is a multi-purpose tracked vehicle designed to support a wide range of mission profiles, including armoured combat roles, and is marketed by Otokar as adaptable to different turret and weapon configurations.

The vehicle is expected to be fitted with Leonardo’s HITFACT MkII turret, a modern 120mm system designed for installation on both tracked and wheeled armoured platforms. The turret is intended to provide direct-fire capability against armoured and fortified targets, in line with operational requirements typically associated with light tank concepts.

Besqaru’s current armoured vehicle portfolio is primarily focused on wheeled systems, including amphibious platforms tailored to regional terrain conditions. The introduction of a tracked light tank would represent a significant expansion of Kazakhstan’s domestic armoured vehicle manufacturing capabilities.

By Tamilla Hasanova