Nimr (armored personnel carrier)

NIMR
NIMR AJBAN 440A
TypeInfantry Mobility Vehicle
Place of originUnited Arab Emirates
Service history
Used bySee Operators
WarsSaudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
Second Libyan Civil War
Production history
ManufacturerNIMR Automotive LLC
Produced2005–present
No. built>1,765 UAE Army
Specifications
Crew2 (Depends on variant)
Passengers6 (Depends on variant)

Main
armament
M2 Browning machine gun
TransmissionAllison MD 3060 - 6-speed Automatic Transmission

The Nimr (Arabic: نمر, romanizedNimr, lit.'Leopard') is a family of all-terrain military armored personnel carrier (APC) vehicles produced by NIMR Automotive LLC in the United Arab Emirates. Nimr is designed specifically for military operations in harsh climates.[1]

History

Nimr was developed as a multipurpose vehicle intended to address the requirements for APCs to meet demanding duty-cycle requirements for off-road performance in harsh climates.[2]

Production of the first prototype of Nimr vehicles was performed by Emirates Defence Technology (EDT). The first prototype of the vehicle was conducted by engineers from a subsidiary of GAZ and further development of 4×4 and 6×6 vehicles was carried out by the Bin Jabr Group. The first prototype of the vehicles was introduced in 2000. Bin Jabr Group teamed up with Rheinmetall and MBDA to incorporate air defense and anti-tank defense mechanisms, called NIMRAD and NIMRAT.[3] The first Nimr vehicle was unveiled to the public at IDEX 2007.[3]

In February 2009, Bin Jabr Group and Tawazun Holdings set up a joint venture to produce the vehicle which was called Nimr Automotive LLC.[3]

The production facilities are located in the Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi.[4]

In July 2012, Algeria and the United Arab Emirates signed an agreement for production of the armored vehicle in Algeria for the North African market.[4]

Nimr Ajban has been spotted patrolling the streets of Khartoum, Sudan in 2019 during the Sudanese revolution.[5] Nimr Ajban has also been used onwards during the Sudanese civil war reportedly by the Rapid Support Forces.[6]

Features

Modular armor

Base protection meets STANAG 4569 Level 1 (resistant to 7.62mm rounds, artillery fragments, and anti-personnel mines). Optional add-on armor upgrades protection to Level 3 or 4 for ballistic threats and Level 3a/2b for mining resistance.[7]

Mobility

Equipped with a double-wishbone independent suspension, central tire inflation system (CTIS), and a top speed exceeding 130 km/h. The 6×6 variant has an operational range of 800 km.[7]

Payload and capacity

The 6×6 APC transports up to 10–12 personnel, with a payload capacity of 1.8 Tonnes.[7]

Types

AJBAN Series (4×4 Light Tactical Vehicles)

The AJBAN Class of 4x4 vehicles provides a multipurpose platform for military requirements at 9,000 kg capacity, from utility vehicles to fully protected patrol vehicles. A universal 4x4 chassis is utilized. All vehicles in the AJBAN Class can be protected, and specific protected models are included for crew survivability with fully tested and certified cabins.[8]

Variants

AJBAN

  • AJBAN 420
  • AJBAN 440
  • AJBAN 440A (Equipped with anti-tank guided missiles)
  • AJBAN 447
  • AJBAN 447A
  • AJBAN 450
  • AJBAN ISV Internal Security Vehicle
  • AJBAN LRSOV Special Operations Vehicle (SOV)
  • AJBAN VIP

HAFEET

  • HAFEET Class:
  • HAFEET 620
  • HAFEET 620A Logistics and Utility Vehicle
  • HAFEET 640A Artillery Support Vehicle (Observation and Command & Control configurations)
  • HAFEET APC
  • HAFEET Ambulance

JAIS

  • JAIS Class:
  • JAIS 4x4
  • JAIS 6x6

Operators

Potential operators

References

  1. ^ "From 150 degrees to 26 below: NIMR pushes all-terrain vehicle testing to the brink". DefenseNews.com. 10 August 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  2. ^ "NIMR Automotive". Army-technology.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "NIMR Wheeled Armoured Military Vehicles". army-technology.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Algeria, UAE to jointly manufacture armoured vehicles". arabiangazette.com. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  5. ^ "'Guns for gold': who is complicit in Sudan's brutal war?". Army Technology. 6 September 2024.
  6. ^ Townsend, Mark (28 October 2025). "UK military equipment used by militia accused of genocide found in Sudan, UN told". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d "Tawazun inks JV for Nimr manufacturing in Algeria". Khaleej Times. July 29, 2012. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  8. ^ a b c The Report: Abu Dhabi 2014. Oxford Business Group. 2014. ISBN 978-1-907065-97-2. Archived from the original on 2018-09-30. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  9. ^ "Libya has taken delivery of 49 NIMR". army-recognition.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  10. ^ Helou, Agnes (2021-02-22). "Saudi, Emirati defense conglomerates cut deal for military vehicle production". Defense News. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  11. ^ Valpolini, Paolo (23 February 2019). "IDEX 2019: Yugoimport, from ALAS to RALAS". EDR Online. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  12. ^ "From Conflict to Conflict: Sudan's Fighting Vehicles".
  13. ^ "UAE's NIMR to supply Turkmenistan with military vehicles". Arabian Business. 6 November 2017. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  14. ^ Dania Saadi (February 23, 2017). "Idex 2017: Nimr wins contract to supply armoured vehicles to UAE Armed Forces". The National. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  15. ^ Dylan Malyasov (April 20, 2025). "UAE-built armored vehicles join Maldives forces". Defence Blog. Archived from the original on May 15, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  16. ^ "New Czech vehicle requirement presents opportunity for NIMR". Quwa. 5 March 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2019.