Otokar's COBRA II has grown from a Turkish internal-security vehicle into a NATO-scale export program. Unveiled at IDEF 2013, it now serves more than 20 users in 13 countries, and a 1,059-vehicle Romanian order signed in November 2024 has made it the first Turkish armored vehicle built on an EU production line.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Builder | Otokar, Arifiye; Automecanica Mediaș plant in Romania |
| Turkish users | National Police and Gendarmerie (per SSB); series production for the Turkish Armed Forces from 2014 |
| Status | Otokar-funded design, in series production |
| Fleet | More than 20 users in 13 countries; over 600 in NATO service |
| Flagship export | Romania, 1,059 vehicles, about €857 million (November 2024) |
What is the COBRA II?
COBRA II succeeded Otokar's original COBRA with a larger chassis, more armor and a roomier cabin. It trades some of its predecessor's compactness for squad-level capacity and MRAP-class protection. Its unusual selling point is an optional amphibious version, which is rare among blast-protected vehicles of this weight.
At home the vehicle serves with the National Police and the Gendarmerie in internal security and rural operations, and open sources confirm production for the Turkish Armed Forces from 2014. Turkish quantities have not been disclosed.
Key features
The combat weight is about 12 tonnes, and the vehicle measures 5.6 m long, 2.5 m wide and 2.2 m high. It seats ten, including driver and commander. A 6.7-liter six-cylinder turbo diesel produces 360 hp through a six-speed automatic transmission, giving a top speed of 110 km/h and a range of about 700 km.
Armament options are broad: a 7.62 or 12.7 mm remote weapon station, a 40 mm grenade launcher, turrets of up to 30 mm, Spike anti-tank missiles or a mortar. The figures come from Otokar and open sources and vary by configuration.
Program, service and exports
On 27 November 2024, Otokar signed a contract with Romania's Ministry of National Defence for 1,059 COBRA IIs worth about €857 million excluding VAT. The first 278 are built in Türkiye and the rest in Romania over five years. Initial deliveries came in 2025, and the first Romanian-built vehicle was unveiled at BSDA in May 2026.
Other operators include Bangladesh (67 vehicles in 2017-2018), Azerbaijan, Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Rwanda, Morocco and Ecuador, and the vehicle also serves in UN peacekeeping. With the Romanian line running alongside Otokar's Arifiye plant, the program shows how a Turkish platform can scale up inside a NATO and EU supply chain while keeping its design authority in Türkiye.
COBRA II competes with the Oshkosh M-ATV and JLTV, the Arquus Bastion and the Iveco LMV. Its advantages are a ten-seat cabin, an amphibious option that none of those rivals offers as standard, and Otokar's willingness to localize production, a combination that carried it to victory in Romania.
Source: Envanter Medya