FNSS Land Systems TURKISH DEFENSE INDUSTRY

ZAHA: FNSS’s Marine Assault Vehicle — Specs, Turkish Service and Exports Explained

FNSS’s ZAHA Marine Assault Vehicle – a clean-sheet tracked amphibious armored vehicle built for the Turkish Navy – has moved into a second production phase. According to project information released by Türkiye’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) in September 2026, a contract amendment for 27 more vehicles has been signed and the kick-off meeting held, on top of the 27 already delivered.

ZAHA Zırhlı Amfibi Hücum Aracı infographic: key features and capabilities — ZAHA Zırhlı Amfibi Hücum Aracı infographic. Design: Envanter Medya

At a Glance

Builder	FNSS Defence Systems
User	Turkish Naval Forces Command (Marines)
Program status	SSB program – ZAHA Project
Deliveries	Phase 1: 27 delivered; Phase 2: 27 more on contract
Local content	No official figure; FNSS-owned design and turret
Program start	Contract 2017; first delivery March 2023

What Is ZAHA?

ZAHA (Zırhlı Amfibi Hücum Aracı, marketed abroad as the MAV) is a ship-to-shore vehicle launched from the well deck of an amphibious ship. It swims to the beach under waterjet propulsion and then fights ashore as a tracked armored carrier. The SSB describes its role as moving embarked troops safely from a dock landing ship to the beach and inland targets in rough sea conditions.

Three variants were built: personnel carrier, command and control, and recovery. The personnel carrier seats a driver, commander and gunner plus 18 marines. FNSS executives stressed at the vehicle’s launch that it was designed from scratch rather than adapted from an existing platform – a rarity in a segment still dominated by decades-old designs.

Technical Specifications

Parameter	Value
Type	Tracked armored amphibious assault vehicle
Engine output	600 hp
Maximum land speed	70 km/h
Water propulsion	Two waterjets
Capacity	3 crew + 18 troops
Trench crossing	2 m
Vertical obstacle	0.9 m
Armament	FNSS ÇAKA remote turret: 12.7 mm HMG + 40 mm automatic grenade launcher
Variants	Personnel carrier, command and control, recovery

Mobility and capacity figures are taken from the SSB’s September 2026 fact sheet; water speed has been reported at around 7 knots. The ÇAKA turret is an FNSS in-house design combining a heavy machine gun and a grenade launcher.

Who Builds It and Program History

ZAHA is an SSB program with FNSS as prime contractor; the contract was reportedly signed in March 2017. The prototype was unveiled at IDEF 2019 on 1 May 2019. Early plans foresaw deliveries from 2021; after qualification, the first vehicles were handed over to the Turkish Navy in March 2023, and the SSB confirms that all 27 phase-one vehicles – 23 personnel carriers, two command and two recovery vehicles – have been delivered.

A phase-two contract for 27 additional vehicles was signed with FNSS on 7 May 2026 at the Istanbul Expo Center. SSB President Haluk Görgün said ZAHA had been in active operational use for more than two years. Turkish outlet DefenceTurk reported that phase two covers personnel carrier and command variants and referenced a ÇAKA 30/AT-O turret option combining a 30 mm cannon with anti-tank missiles.

Turkish Service and Deliveries

ZAHA serves with the Turkish Navy’s amphibious marine units and operates alongside the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu. With phase two, the fleet is set to reach 54 vehicles, enough to sustain a battalion-scale amphibious assault capability on a domestically designed platform.

Exports

There is no publicly confirmed export contract yet. The most concrete lead is Indonesia: on 20 April 2022, FNSS and state-owned PT Pindad signed a memorandum of understanding, witnessed by President Joko Widodo and then-Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, covering cooperation on the Indonesian Marine Corps’ amphibious landing and recovery vehicle requirement, including possible local production. FNSS already has a track record in Indonesia through the jointly developed Kaplan MT/Harimau medium tank.

Trade Show Appearances

ZAHA debuted at IDEF 2019 in Istanbul, appeared with the ÇAKA turret at Indo Defence 2022 in Jakarta, was shown at SAHA EXPO 2024 alongside the PARS ALPHA 8×8, and returned to IDEF 2025 with new weapon configurations.

Local Content and Key Subsystems

No official local-content percentage has been disclosed. The design authority, hull, amphibious integration and the ÇAKA turret all belong to FNSS, and the SSB has highlighted the involvement of numerous Turkish SMEs. Public detail on powerpack sourcing is limited.

Global Counterparts

The obvious reference is the US Marine Corps’ tracked AAV7A1, which the Corps is replacing with the wheeled ACV 8×8. South Korea’s KAAV and China’s ZBD-05 family are other tracked examples. ZAHA’s edge is that it pairs the sea-keeping of a tracked hull with a modern mine-protected design, an 18-troop cabin and a current-generation remote turret – an attractive option for navies looking to retire ageing AAV7 fleets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who builds ZAHA?

FNSS designs and builds ZAHA under an SSB program for the Turkish Navy. ASELSAN is not the prime contractor.

How many ZAHAs are in Turkish service?

All 27 phase-one vehicles have been delivered, and a further 27 are on contract under phase two.

Has Indonesia bought ZAHA?

FNSS and PT Pindad signed an MoU in April 2022, but no firm export contract has been announced.

What weapons does ZAHA carry?

Current vehicles use the FNSS ÇAKA remote turret with a 12.7 mm machine gun and a 40 mm grenade launcher.

Related Infographic Reports

Featured photo: Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB)