Kazakh vehicle manufacturer KPE had signed a further agreement with the Kazakh Ministry of Defence (MoD) for a further batch of 4×4 Arlan Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles on 13 May. KPE is a joint venture between South African aerospace and technology business company Paramount Group and Kazakhstan Engineering. The Kazakh military has been operating the Arlan for more than three years, with deliveries to the Kazakh MoD and law enforcement agencies beginning in August 2016.
Produced in Kazakhstan, Arlan is a land system platform variant of Paramount’s ‘Marauder’. It is capable of operating in extreme environments to meet the requirements of Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces, including long-range border patrol and quick reaction force operations.Arlan includes a modular design and double-skin monocoque and a V-shaped hull structure. It is capable of withstanding the debris and dissipating energy of explosions, and offers improved protection against mine blasts.
The Arlan vehicle provides STANAG 4569 level 3 ballistic protection against small arms ammunition, as well as STANAG 4569 levels 3a and 3b blast protection against mine explosions. It can also withstand mine blasts of 10kg TNT beneath the hull, 10kg TNT beneath any wheel and a 50kg TNT side blast explosion. The vehicle also features radiation, chemical and biological (RCB) protection to address the challenges of radiation dust spread, gas and biological attacks.
The Arlan can handle up to a 4,500kg payload, and reach speeds of up to 120km/h while travelling up to a distance of 700km. Vehicles also include pre-ignition engine heating, a temperature control system that allows personnel to be transported safely and comfortably in winter and summer. Arlan vehicles are produced at the 15,000m² KPE armoured vehicle factory, with the KPE design teams offering customisation of the carriers as required by customer.
