Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC) subsidiary NIMR Automotive has launched its newest vehicle line, the Rapid Intervention Vehicle (RIV) at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) 2017 in Abu Dhabi.
During its unveiling, NIMR’s CEO Dr Fahad Saif Harhara said: "We have listened carefully to the special operations community and incorporated their combat experience into the design and development of this light and powerful 4×4 rapid intervention vehicle. The NIMR RIV is our most modern special forces platform available."
NIMR Automotive as the original vehicle manufacturer, in collaboration with MIRA, a leading independent engineering company specialising in delivering automotive technologies to the defence sector in the UK, engineered the RIV.
The NIMR RIV uses speed and agility as a critical advantage to enable a crew of four to quickly traverse various terrains in all operational environments. It is equipped with under-body blast protection and modular applique armour packs for ballistic protection, greatly increasing crew survivability without sacrificing mobility. The NIMR RIV can be transported either by fast ground transit or helicopter, underslung or inside a CH-47.
"It addresses a critical mission need for a high-speed, easily transportable vehicle that can quickly respond to tactical situations in remote sites. NIMR’s offering not only expands the NIMR vehicle range, but also allows us to maintain a competitive edge,” Dr Fahad added.
Evolving industry trends around irregular warfare has seen the special operator community demand specialised vehicles with greater crossover of mission requirements and capabilities. NIMR has already addressed this critical gap through the development of industry-leading AJBAN LRSOV, an open-top 4×4 long-range reconnaissance vehicle, first unveiled at IDEX 2015 and now in service with the UAE Armed Forces.
The RIV addresses a bespoke set of operational requirements that enables elite units to successfully carry out covert operations without alerting enemy or insurgent forces.
The RIV and LRSOV, along with the full range of NIMR products have been designed for the local, regional and international markets, and are fully customisable based on operational environments and specific user requirements.