The choice reflects the lower maintenance and operational costs of medium tanks, alongside greater potential for local industry participation. Kalinak underlined that no final decision has been made, stating both vehicles remain in development and could enter Slovak service “in three to four years at the earliest.”
Otokar’s Tulpar provides flexible configuration, marking its second international light tank competition after Brazil’s tender. The vehicle supports either a 700 or 1,100 horsepower engine, with a gross weight of 28 to 45 tonnes, and protection can be increased to STANAG 4569 Level 5 using add-on armour.
Tulpar can be equipped with either the Belgian Cockerill 3105 105mm turret or the Italian HITFACT MK-II 120mm L45 turret. Otokar presented a prototype with Leonardo’s 120mm gun last year, and Kalinak noted the company has proposed local production of both turret and platform elements in Slovakia.
The Swedish CV90120, based on the CV90 MkIV chassis, carries a 120mm gun with an automatic loader developed by Slovakia’s Koval Systems in cooperation with BAE Systems and Rheinmetall. This option also offers compatibility benefits with the CV9035 infantry fighting vehicles already ordered for Slovak service.
Slovakia plans to partially manufacture the CV9035 domestically, with Koval Systems leading work on the automatic loader for the CV90120. Existing infrastructure for CV90 production could be a factor in the final decision, supported by the platform’s training and logistics advantages.
Otokar has previously demonstrated turret integration flexibility through projects such as Kazakhstan’s TAIMAS 8×8 IFV, which used a Chinese turret, and the UAE’s RABDAN 8×8 IFV, originally fitted with a BMP-3 turret and scheduled to receive the Spanish EM&E Guardian 30 turret.
