Canik demonstrates BMP-1 rearmament concept
A BMP-1 IFV demonstrator, upgraded by Canik with a Unirobotics Trakon Core 30 RWS with an AEI Systems 30×113 mm Venom LR cannon and displayed at MSPO 2026. (Devrim Yaylali)
Turkish firearms manufacturer Canik displayed a proof-of-concept upgrade for Soviet-designed armoured vehicles at the MSPO 2026 defence exhibition held in Kielce, Poland in September, using a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) as the initial demonstrator.
The vehicle's original turret and armament were removed and replaced by a Unirobotics Trakon Core 30 remote weapon station (RWS) armed with an AEI Systems 30×113 mm Venom LR cannon. The system has a stated ammunition capacity of 150 rounds. The RWS weighs around 400 kg without ammunition, and around 650 kg with a full load of ammunition, according to Canik. Both Unirobotics and AEI Systems are companies within the Samsun Yurt Savunma (SYS) Group, which also includes Canik
A Canik representative told Janes that the concept is intended to provide a relatively low-cost modernisation option for legacy armoured personnel carriers and IFVs held in storage or reserve inventories in Eastern Europe and elsewhere.
The approach balances the capability provided by a new weapon system against the residual value of the host vehicle, the representative said. The aim is to deliver a useful fire-support capability while limiting weight, cost, and complexity, rather than undertaking a comprehensive platform overhaul.
The RWS is operated from inside the vehicle, with an internal display enabling the operator to control the weapon and sighting system while remaining under armour. The Canik representative said that the demonstrator is the first installation of the Trakon Core 30 on a tracked armoured vehicle.
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