The ZMA is the tracked infantry fighting vehicle of the Turkish Army, a member of the ACV-15 family that FNSS has built in Ankara since the 1990s. It is now being given a second career: ASELSAN is replacing the old manned turret with its unmanned 25 mm NEFER system. According to project information released by the Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) in September 2026, 115 NEFER-equipped ZMAs have already been handed over to the Land Forces.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Platform builder | FNSS Defence Systems (ACV-15 / ZMA) |
| Upgrade prime contractor | ASELSAN, with FNSS as subcontractor |
| User | Turkish Land Forces Command |
| Program | SSB ZMA Modernization Project |
| Deliveries | 115 NEFER-turreted vehicles (September 2026) |
| Timeline | Prime contract 31 December 2019; first delivery 1 December 2022 |
What is the ZMA?
ZMA stands for Zırhlı Muharebe Aracı, or armored combat vehicle. It carries a dismounted infantry squad alongside main battle tanks and supplies direct fire support, which makes it a workhorse of Turkish mechanized units. The hull comes from the US AIFV lineage that FNSS adapted and kept in production at home.
The weak point of the original design was its Dutch-designed one-man turret, which Turkish trade press described as unstabilized and prone to letting propellant fumes into the fighting compartment. The modernization answers that directly. It pairs a remotely operated turret with a new electronic backbone, extra armor and better life-support, so that a Cold War-era vehicle can fire accurately on the move.
Key features
The headline feature is NEFER, a gyro-stabilized unmanned turret armed with a 25 mm automatic cannon and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. It carries a laser rangefinder, an automatic target tracker and day and night sights, and ASELSAN says it was designed to accept both NATO-standard and Russian-origin guns. Because the crew stays inside the hull, protection improves as well.
On the mobility side, the SSB fact sheet gives a combat weight of 16,500 kg, a top speed of 60 km/h, a range of 400 km, a trench-crossing ability of 1.83 m and a vertical obstacle height of 0.736 m. The package also adds laser warning, close-range surveillance, driver vision, direction-finding and navigation, a CBRN system, add-on armor, spall liners and suppression systems.
Program, service and exports
The upgrade is an SSB program. The prime contract was signed with ASELSAN on 31 December 2019, with a subcontract to FNSS the same day. ASELSAN supplies the NEFER weapon system and the sensors, while FNSS refurbishes the platform and handles integration, qualification and logistics at its Gölbaşı plant. The first five vehicles were delivered on 1 December 2022, and the total now stands at 115. Earlier press reports mentioned a plan for 133 vehicles, but the official note speaks only of the 115 fielded. Training aids and simulators for the Maintenance School Command in Balıkesir and the Infantry School Command in Tuzla have been delivered too.
The wider ACV-15 family has one of the strongest export records among Turkish land platforms, with users that include the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Philippines. No export contract has been announced for the NEFER-based upgrade itself, though a proven retrofit package is an obvious candidate for future offers.
In short, the ZMA remains an FNSS vehicle, while ASELSAN leads its modernization. The result is a large legacy fleet that stays relevant with domestically sourced turret, sensors and electronics until the next generation of platforms arrives.
Source: Envanter Medya