Unveiling the ZMA‑X: Turkey's combat robot leap at TEKNOFEST
During the TEKNOFEST 2024 festival held in Adana, the Turkish company ASELSAN showcased the ZMA-X land combat robot. Here's an overview.
According to the portal TurDef, the ZMA-X presented at TEKNOFEST 2024 is Turkey's third land robot, following FNSS's Shadow Rider and Otokar's Alpar. Combat robots aim to assist infantry soldiers by providing fire support and reconnaissance in challenging terrains.
Major global players, from China and Russia to European countries and the United States, are exploring this field with variations of remotely controlled vehicles or entirely new designs.
ZMA-X - unmanned ACV-15, the Turkish evolution of the M113 from the Vietnam era
ASELSAN based its design on the ACV-15, a widely used armoured personnel carrier in Turkey that weighs about 14,000 kilograms. This vehicle is an evolution of the American M113, fitted with the NEFER turret.
This turret is equipped with a 25mm automatic cannon, which is effective against a wide range of targets at distances of up to 30 kilometres. This is similar to the combat capabilities displayed by M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles in Ukraine.
ASELSAN's design repurposes these armoured personnel carriers, which offer limited crew protection, for high-risk assault operations where losses are expected. Turkey maintains an inventory of over 2,000 units. A relevant example of where such remotely operated vehicles could be valuable is the initial stage of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer of 2023.
Attacking narrow paths through minefields under artillery and anti-tank guided missile fire often results in losses, and remotely operated robots mitigate the risk to personnel.
The Turkish robot's radio control range is not publicly known. The ZMA-X is equipped with additional armour plates that are likely to protect crucial drive and electronic components and LIDAR sensors that significantly enhance situational awareness around the vehicle. Its operation is similar to that of platforms like the Strykers, which have a remotely controlled weapon turret, allowing for safe control from several kilometers away.
