Nigerian defense company Proforce has signed a contract for the sale of 20 of its new Ara 2 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles. The vehicles will be delivered to neighboring Chad an acquisition that will aid the region and country in fighting Boko Haram.
The deal was finalized in June 2019 and deliveries are expected to begin before the end of the year in successive batches of five vehicles. With the capacity to carry up to 12 personnel plus equipment, the 15-ton Ara 2 can be configured into multiple variants including recovery, command and control, ambulance, field kitchen, and reconnaissance. A 12.7 mm machinegun can be mounted on a 360-degree roof turret which can be open or fully enclosed.
The latest version of the Ara was displayed during the Nigerian Army Day celebrations on 6 July. It features a full monocoque hull (the previous Ara used a Tatra 2.30 TRK 4×4 truck chassis). Development of the improved version began in January 2018 after feedback from the Nigerian military.
