President Akufo-Addo has presented forty (40) newly acquired Cobra-II general purpose “Armoured Personnel Carriers” (APCs) to the Ghana Armed Forces to help boost their efforts aimed at protecting the country’s borders.
In his brief remarks at the commissioning ceremony of the Cobra II Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) yesterday, 31st March 2021 at Burma Camp, President Akufo-Addo said he is hopeful that the new carriers will augment the dedicated efforts of the military in protecting the nation’s borders.
“I am here to present forty (40) Cobra II Armoured Personnel Carriers which, according to military standards, are very strong and versatile army vehicles which will help us contain even better, the security threats posed at our northern borders as well as provide the necessary protection for our western and eastern frontiers,” President Akufo-Addo said.
Election 2020 Security
The President in his remarks commended the Ghana Armed Forces for the very important role they played in securing the peace of the country during the 7th of December 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections which took place virtually incident-free across the nation.
“Officers, men and women of the Ghana Armed Forces, I commend you for the work you are doing on a daily basis to protect the territorial integrity and stability of our country. Indeed, my highest commendations goes to all ranks for their outstanding performance in the recent ‘Operation Peace Trail’ which provided security for the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections,” the President said.
Defence Minister
Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul (MP), in his welcome address indicated that the government of President Akufo-Addo is committed to re-equipping and re-tooling the Forces to carry out their mandate amidst threats of aggression within the country and the West African sub-region as a whole.
“Ministry of Defence and the Military High Command acknowledge and appreciate your commitment to modernize the Ghana Armed Forces. There is no doubt that these vehicles will enable the Ghana Armed Forces perform its duty of protecting the territorial integrity of the country” Dominic Nitiwul stated.
The Cobra-II Armoured Personnel Carriers
The COBRA-II general purpose tactical wheeled armoured vehicle were manufactured in Turkey by the company called OTOKAR, to meet the needs of modern armies. The vehicle is specially designed to give protection to ground troops against mines and small arms fire.
The vehicle uses a Cummins 6.7L, 360HP, Turbo Intercooler diesel engine and an automatic transmission gearbox with 6 forward gears and 1 reverse with a 4×4 drive for off-road conditions.
The maximum speed of the carrier is 110km/h, the weight is 1,300kg, length with winch 6,390mm, and height of 2,300mm. It has two fuel tanks with total fuel capacity of 197L that covers operating range of 700km. It has a sitting capacity of 9 troops made up of 3 crews and 6 assault troopers.
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