Tactical ground vehicle specialist Nimr Automotive has secured its first export contract outside the Middle East in a deal to provide its Long Range Special Operations Vehicle (LRSOV) to Turkmenistan’s special operations forces.

Announced on 6 November by company officials at the Defence and Security Exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand, the deal will see an undisclosed number of Ajban LRSOVs delivered to Turkmenistan’s Special Operations Regiment.

Vehicles were first paraded publicly for the first time during a military parade to celebrate the country’s independence day on 27 October alongside multiple other special operations vehicles, including Polaris Government and Defense’s MRZR and Deployable Advanced Ground Off Road (DAGOR) platforms.

To date, Nimr Automotive has supplied LRSOV platforms to the UAE Special Operations Command but this latest deal signals its first contract success across the broader international special operations community.

The news also demonstrates a significant uplift in ‘fly and drive’ capabilities for the Special Operations Regiment, defence sources explained.

Nimr had already supplied the wider Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of Turkmenistan with eight Ajban 440A platforms as part of an evaluation process for border security operations, company officials confirmed.

The evaluation focused on durability and mobility across the ‘rough terrain’ Turkmenistan’s border region with the Ministry of Defense requesting an undisclosed number of Ajban LRSOVs in ‘bespoke configurations’ following the trials, Nimr officials added.

‘The vehicles are designed for long-range reconnaissance missions and are helicopter transportable, capable of accessing all terrains and customisable to accommodate a range of specific equipment,’ a Nimr statement stated.

The LRSOV comprises a next-generation of Nimr’s SOV. Designed to conduct long range patrols; direct action; and special reconnaissance missions, the LRSOV has a top speed of 110kph and maximum operational range of 700km.

The vehicle can also be inserted as an underslung load by CH-47 helicopter and internally in the cargo hold of C-130 aircraft.

Turkmenistan’s Special Operations Regiment continues to retain close ties with the US Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) which has helped shape its future tactical ground vehicle requirements for Polaris and Nimr platforms.

Force elements continue to be heavily involved in internal security operations across the country’s border area with Afghanistan and continues to evolve in a joint operating environment with other government agencies and services, defence sources explained to Shephard.