On April 23, 2023, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) received the first two Altay Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), a significant milestone in Turkey's domestic defense industry. The tanks were supplied in a ceremony attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. As the final trials of the Altay tank are anticipated to conclude in 2024, mass production is expected to commence in 2025.
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The delivery of the two Turkish-made Altay MBTs was attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and delegations from the Army and the defense industry. (Picture source Twitter Account Ismail Demir)
The General Manager Mehmet Karaaslan of the Turkish company BMC revealed plans for the initial batch of 100 units, with eight tanks scheduled to be delivered monthly. The Altay contract encompasses the production of a total of 1,000 tanks. The first Altay MBTs will be powered by a South Korean powerpack, with a domestically developed engine, BATU, set to replace them in 2026. The 1,500-horsepower BATU engine will power various armored vehicles, including the Altay MBT.
The original prototype of the tank featured a 1,500 horsepower diesel engine from Germany's MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH. However, production and supply were halted due to Berlin's decision to limit arms exports to Turkey. According to Turkish company sources, the new Altay tank boasts significantly different and superior capabilities compared to the prototype introduced a decade ago.
The initial Altay Main Battle Tank (MBT) prototype was revealed in 2012, and extensive testing and evaluation followed. In 2018, BMC, a Turkish defense company, secured the contract for the tank's mass production, marking the shift from development to production. The tank has since undergone numerous upgrades and refinements to boost its capabilities, culminating in the latest version set for delivery to the Turkish Armed Forces for testing.
The Altay MBT's design is typical for a modern battle tank, with the driver at the front of the hull, the turret in the middle, and the powerpack at the rear. However, it incorporates new technologies and innovations concerning armament, protection, and mobility. The tank has a four-member crew, consisting of a driver, commander, gunner, and loader.
The main armament of the Altay tank consists of a 120mm L55 smoothbore main gun, which is STANAG 4385 ammunition-compatible and capable of firing laser-guided tank munitions. It has a 40-round ammunition storage capacity. Its fire control system includes a 360° panoramic stabilized commander's periscope, hunter-killer capability, precise optical stabilization, automatic target tracking, and TV/thermal sights with a laser rangefinder. The turret and gun are electrically driven.
The tank's secondary armament comprises a remote-controlled weapon system, which can be equipped with 12.7mm and 7.62mm machine guns or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher. Additionally, a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun is mounted on the left side of the main armament.
The Altay MBT is designed with advanced armor protection to counter various battlefield threats. While specific details about the armor composition are undisclosed for security reasons, it is known that the tank employs a combination of composite armor and reactive armor systems. These armor technologies offer enhanced protection against threats like anti-tank guided missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, and kinetic energy penetrators.
Additional features, including a spall liner and the Turkish-made AKKOR Active Protection System (APS), enhance the Altay tank's survivability by minimizing the risk of crew injuries from incoming threats like rockets or anti-tank missiles. The high-tech radar swiftly detects these threats, and the system's sensors trigger the physical destruction ammunition to explode at the closest proximity to the approaching anti-tank menace, neutralizing it. The Altay MBT is also equipped with advanced mine protection, laser detection and warning systems, battlefield target identification devices, and nuclear and chemical threat detection systems.
