After meticulously positioning itself as a leader in unmanned aviation and developing a fifth-generation stealth fighter, Turkey (Türkiye) is now ready to induct the next-generation Altay main battle tank, demonstrating that it has gone full throttle on expanding its defense-industrial base.
Daily Sabah reported that Haluk Görgün, the head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB), visited BMC’s Ankara production site on February 24 and announced that the indigenously produced Altay main battle tank (MBT) will enter service in 2025.
“This year, as promised, we will deliver our first mass-produced tanks to our heroic army. Our current plans are to open our facility in August and start and continue the process of producing all our armored vehicles,” he said.
Elaborating on the production and induction of the tank, Görgün said, “The Altay tank project we are carrying out is a highly anticipated high-tech platform. More than 600 companies are working on this platform. Of course, our main contractor, BMC, and companies such as Aselsan, Roketsan, and Havelsan are working together.”
”After delivering three tanks in 2025, we will deliver a total of 85 tanks in the T1 configuration: 11 next year, then 41 and 30 the following year.” The Altay program has two phases: T1 and T2. According to previous reports, T1 includes the initial units, whereas, under T2, an enhanced version of the tank will be built.
While highlighting the tank’s several high-tech subsystems that contribute to its operational potential, including its auxiliary systems, command control, and firepower, Görgün said that a total of 165 ALTAY-T2 tanks will be delivered in 2028.
Altay MBT Is Coming Soon!
Named in honor of Army General Fahrettin Altay, who commanded the 5th Cavalry Corps in the final stage of the Turkish War of Independence, Altay is a fourth-generation Main Battle Tank based on the renowned South Korean K-2.
The tank was initially supposed to incorporate the technology of different platforms. Germany transferred technology for its MTU833 engine and South Korean firm Hyundai-Rotem provided the turret layout of its K2 Black Panther tank for US$424 million.
The prototype of the next-generation battle tank was powered by a 1,500 horsepower diesel engine from Germany’s MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH. However, Berlin imposed an arms embargo on Ankara following a Turkish attack on the Kurdish YPG group in Syria, leaving the Altay MBT without an engine.
As it scrambled for alternatives, a South Korean company, S&T Heavy Industries, announced in 2022 that it would provide BMC, a Turkish tank company, with a 1,500-horsepower automatic transmission engine until 2030.
In the longer run, Turkey wants to produce its engines and transmissions, which means that the South Korean engines are merely a bridging solution until Turkish engines are ready to power their MBTs. In fact, Turkey is currently developing a 1,500-horsepower engine called BATU to power Altay and other armored vehicles in production.
“Once the BATU developed by BMC Power is ready, we will hopefully continue to take the new Altay into the inventory with our domestic engine,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in 2023.
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The Altay MBT boasts some very cutting-edge features, including a concentrated power group, upgraded armor, a new fire control system, a new vehicle control system, a mobile concealment net, a periscope, a rotor, fuel and hydraulic pumps, and localized systems like speed reduction, the gunner’s second-degree sight system, track, and turret ring gear, among other things.
Additionally, Altay has an impressive 8-kilometer (4.97-mile) firing range. It weighs 65 tons and has four crew members: a tank commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver. The tank is designed to be extremely maneuverable, thanks to its suspension technology. The MBT has armaments like the Stabilized Advanced Remote Weapon Platform (SARP), manufactured by defense powerhouse Aselsan, and a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun.
The tank’s manufacturer claims that its firing control system is better than that of conventional tanks because of the latest computer technology.
Additionally, Altay will have the domestic Active Protection System AKKOR, which was created by Aselsan. As demonstrated in the ongoing Ukraine war, tanks need an active protection system, in addition to tank armor, to protect themselves in modern combat amid a surge of lethal anti-tank weapons.
With its advanced radar, AKKOR can swiftly identify incoming rocket or anti-tank missiles and provide a complete 360-degree protection barrier.
However, Altay is not Turkey’s only ground-based system. In a separate development, Turkish defense companies FNSS and SSB signed a contract for the “Next-Generation Vehicle Project” at a ceremony on February 24. Under this project, Turkey will develop the PARS ALPHA 8×8 and 6×6 armored vehicles.
Highlighting Turkey’s achievements in producing armored vehicles, Görgün claimed that more than 4,500 armored vehicles have been shipped to almost 50 nations, putting Turkey in a position to be respected globally in the armored vehicle market. “We continue our efforts to increase the rate of localization and nationalization,” he added.
This is significant because Turkey has already made significant strides in aviation by developing state-of-the-art combat unmanned vehicles and joining the select group of countries that have their own fifth-generation stealth fighter jet.
Turkey Soars In Aviation
Turkey has revolutionized its air power by producing some of the most advanced combat drones. Turkey’s rapid ascent to prominence as a weapons manufacturer and exporter is closely related to the advancements made by its aerospace sector.
With the rolling out of drones, light trainers, and fifth-generation fighters, which are under development, Ankara has solidified its position as a legitimate aerospace force.
Over the last few years, the country that was once completely dependent on defense imports to fulfill its security needs has emerged as a world-class arms producer, especially in the aviation sector. Turkey has established itself as a world leader in drone technology. Turkish firm Baykar has produced some of the most advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of modern times—the TB2, TB2T AI, TB3, Akinci, and Kizilelma.
The TB-2, for one, is known as the poster child of Turkish aviation. The drone has been sold to about two dozen countries and has shown exceptional combat success across battle zones–from the Nogorono-Karabakh conflict fought in 2020 between Armenia and Azerbaijan to the Ukrainian battlefield. It is currently seeing action in Sudan.
Notably, the TB2 drone has now been upgraded. It recently debuted as TB2T-AI—a TB2 drone powered by a turbo engine and integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
These drones have been a big success in the export market, and EurAsian Times has reported on their remarkable success.
However, Turkey’s biggest success could come from its fifth-generation stealth aircraft program—KAAN. According to reports, multiple countries, including Pakistan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, have shown interest in the aircraft.
Turkey’s defense industry has witnessed a remarkable transformation, placing the country as a significant competitor in the global arms market, owing to its weapons’ efficiency, affordability, and battlefield-proven technology. As President Erdogan asserted: “Turkey’s goal is to be fully independent in the defense industry.”
The development of Altay MBT is further testimony to Turkey’s growing prowess in arms manufacturing.
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