Samel-90 produced, integrated and handed over 45 armored vehicles to the Ministry of Defense On December 8, 2020, Samel-90 signed a Contract with the Ministry of Defense for the Supply of Armored Vehicles and Defense Products to increase the mobility and protection of personnel by the Special Operations Forces. According to the terms of the contract, for a period of three years, the Samokov company undertakes to deliver a total of 98 armored and special vehicles of 10 different modifications and to equip a technical center for post-warranty service and repair of acquired equipment. This is the first project of its kind in the Ministry of Defense in the last 30 years, in which the Armed Forces receives new combat equipment and communication and control systems from a Bulgarian manufacturer. For the first time, the MoD has a Contractor who has undertaken to provide also a 5-year warranty period for military equipment, including the replacement of all consumables for cars during this period. The challenge for Samel-90 was and still is very big, given the many different objective and subjective factors and problems, the complex international logistics, the COVID crisis, the need for entirely self-financing of the project. However, at the end of November this year, instead of the planned 33 cars for the first year of the contract, Samel-90 produced, integrated and handed over to the Assignor 45 cars. The company's ambition is to complete the project for delivery of all armored vehicles with one year ahead of schedule, despite the extremely great difficulties in logistics and delivery of materials and components. At the same time, some important requirements have better parameters than those set out in the contract - for example, all tactical and special armored pickups have a higher level of ballistic protection, without changing the other operating parameters of the car. In addition to the delivery of the first armored vehicles and defense products for the first year of the contract, 94 representatives of the Joint Special Operations Command were trained at Samel-90. The company is committed to providing additional training to the specialists of SCSO, if necessary. In the development of all types of armored vehicles Samel-90 relied on the concept of upgrading the combat and functional capabilities of each type of military equipment. The goal is in the future for the user to be able to integrate additional systems and capabilities, depending on the missions that will be performed by SCSO. In addition, the integrated armored platform could be used for the needs of units of the Land Forces, Navy and Military Police Service and, if necessary, changes in construction and integration can be made depending on specific requirements. During the first year of the contract and in the process of production and acceptance of defense products, specialists from the Joint Special Operations Command, the Institute of Defense - MoD and the Armaments Policy Directorate provided exceptional professional support and assistance, which is one an illustrative and excellent example of the joint work of the user and the manufacturer. This, in turn, is the first step in many years to restore technical and industrial cooperation between the Armed Forces and the Bulgarian defense industry, and the benefits of this process are extremely important and great. The presence of a Bulgarian industrial defense base benefits the entire economy of the country and allows companies in the industry to participate and defend the Bulgarian interest in new projects for the development of European defense science and industry. This is one of the important factors that allow Samel-90 to receive orders for similar products from customers abroad.