Georgia may have made procuring American weapons one of its top military priorities, but it's also taking matters into its own hands. During last week's military parade the country unveiled a new, homegrown armored personnel carrier, called Didgori after a famous 12th-century Georgian military victory over the Seljuk Turks.
According to the report below from Rustavi 2 (with English subtitles) the APC features night vision, remote controlled weapons and improved armor over its Russian/Soviet predecessors. It is apparently made at Georgia's Plant 31, which used to make Su-25 fighter jets but which is now dedicated to ground vehicles. They are lightly armed but fast, and are intended for reconnaissance and special operations. The Georgian armed forces now have 30, and there is the possibility they'll be made for export, as well. And it already has its own Wikipedia page.
"The biggest advantage is that it is Georgian, made in Georgia, and we are proud of it and of the name it has," said one of the soldiers interviewed, Alexander Gorgodze.
Joshua Kucera, a senior correspondent, is Eurasianet's former Turkey/Caucasus editor and has written for the site since 2007.
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