FNSS presents new Teber-II turret

The Turkish company FNSS has expanded its Teber family of armoured fighting vehicle turrets with the introduction of the Teber-II 30/40, a new two-man turret configured to carry anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) that has been added to the company’s range of remotely operated turrets.

The turret differs from earlier versions of the Teber-II in that it is designed to be crewed from a turret basket – which would typically be referred to as ‘manned’ – rather than remotely operated. The turret was presented as an option when the company launched its Pars Alpha during the February 2024 World Defence Show in Saudi Arabia, but it has now been developed into a working system and is being offered by the company. 

It carries the Mk 44 Bushmaster Stretch chain gun from Northrop Grumman, which is chambered to fire 30×173 mm ammunition as standard. However, the stretch family of cannons can be upgraded to the SuperShot 40, a 40×180 mm round, with the exchange of the barrel and other parts, an operation that can be completed in the field, according to the manufacturer. SuperShot 40 offers a significant increase in lethality over the 30 mm rounds against both armoured vehicles and personnel. The rounds it fires are larger and so can carry more explosive or kinetic energy to the target. The vehicle has space for 310 ready rounds of 30 mm ammunition, which are held in two drums typically with some allocated to armour piercing and the majority for high explosive rounds. 

Mounted on either side of the Teber-II is an ATGM rail, which can carry weapons of the user’s choice. The launchers can be elevated and operated independently of each other. Most infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) carry ATGMs of some description, which allows them to hold heavy armour at risk as well as support infantry operations with precise explosive effects from the vehicle. While there have been some examples of IFVs successfully engaging tanks with their medium calibre cannons, those instances are relatively rare. It is more likely to inflict a mission kill – whereby the sights and weapon are damaged – than defeat the vehicle and crew. 

In addition, the Teber-II provides the commander with a panoramic sight and the gunner with a fixed sight, both include thermal imagers and day channels as well as laser range finders. The commander’s sight can be integrated into a remote weapon system, further improving the turret-crew’s ability to engage diverse targets. The sights and the Mk 44 are stabilised, which improves the probability of a first round hit at typical combat ranges and include a target tracking capability, which means the sight will automatically maintain a track on a selected target as it and the host vehicle move. The turret can be protected to the same level as the host vehicle and concept imagery indicates that the power and space is available to mount an active protection system, too. 

Company profile: FNSS

FNSS has become a mainstay of Turkey’s armoured vehicle production with several orders for the Turkish armed forces, including its Marine Assault Vehicle, a tracked amphibious platform that is to be deployed from the TCG Anadolu (L-400) amphibious assault ship. FNSS is also supplying its Pars 4×4 and Kaplan 10 tracked armoured vehicles equipped with the OMTAS ATGM turret, and is the manufacturer for the ACV vehicles that are used to carry Turkey’s Hisar and Korkut air defence systems. FNSS also provides a range of maintenance and overhaul services including a mid-life extension for Turkey’s existing ACV-15 fleet. 

The company has secured and completed export orders for its Pars III family of 8×8 armoured fighting vehicles, with 257 for Malaysia as well as 172 vehicles for Oman in both the 6×6 and 8×8 configurations. It is also the supplier of the MT Kaplan, a medium tank armed with a 105 mm main gun that was designed and manufactured for Indonesia. This, along with the domestic orders, mean that FNSS maintains an active production line that is responsive to additional orders. 

FNSS was previously a joint venture between BAE Systems and Nurol Makina, a fellow Turkish company. However, Nurol bought BAE’s 49% stake in FNSS in October 2024 becoming the sole shareholder of the company. Nurol produces protected mobility vehicles and the two companies are understood to be dividing their efforts with Nurol continuing to focus on protected mobility contracts across both product ranges while FNSS dedicates its efforts to the other larger armoured fighting vehicles.