Locally produced armoured cars equip Georgan Defence Forces
Georgian troops will receive up to 40 vehicles of two different variants in stages. Screenshot from Ministry of Defence of Georgia video.
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Nationally produced armoured cars have equipped the Georgian Defence Forces for the first time, after the Scientific Technical Centre 'Delta' provided the armed forces with Didgori vehicles.
The defence ministry revealed on Thursday the GDF troops had obtained up to 40 vehicles including armoured personnel carriers and medical evacuation (medevac) cars from the company that produces a variety of hardware and equipment.
Marked in a formal event at the NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre near Tbilisi, the provision of Didgori vehicles to the forces will be completed in stages and continue minister Garibashvili's initiative of equipping the GDF with new hardware and upgrading their existing fleets, launched over the recent months.
The APC version of Didgori is designed to transport ground troops on the battlefield and carry out reconnaissance tasks. The medevac variant is designated to rescue injured personnel from the battlefield, and is equipped to enable medical personnel to provide first aid during the process.
For the first time, the Georgian Defence Forces got equipped with up to 40 #Didgori multi-role APCs manufactured by our LEPL STC Delta. The development of the national military industry remains among our top priorities. pic.twitter.com/glq8MDFoXm
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) October 8, 2020
Major General Matiashvili, Chief of the Georgian Defence Forces, said in comments the provision of the vehicles was "very important for developing combat readiness of our units".
The GDF chief also stressed the multi-functional element of the Didgori vehicle platform, which he said would ensure "further development and varied modifications of the vehicle in the future", to satisfy requirements of the defence forces.
The deal between Delta and the MoD follows earlier initiatives on GDF hardware and capabilities, including a "complete rehabilitation and modernisation" of anti-air defences, and upgrade of electronic systems of the GDF aircraft fleet, following deals with Israeli arms developers last month.
Georgia's own factories are also working on major repair and update of both fixed-wing and helicopter assets of the military, while the MoD has also obtained modern trucks for ground troops from Germany.