BMC from Turkey wins contract to produce Altay MBT Main Battle Tank.

According information from Anadolu, a Turkish press agency on April 24, 2018, the Turkish Company BMC, a manufacturer of wheeled armoured and tactical vehicles, has won the contract to continue the development and production of the indigenous MBT Main Battle Tank dubbed Altay.

Turkish-made Altay MBT Main Battle Tank at IDEF defense exhibition in May 2017. (Picture source Army Recognition)

In 2008, the Turkish Company Otokar has signed a $500 million contract with SSM to develop and produce four prototypes of the local-made main battle tank Altay. In January 2016, Otokar submitted its bid to start serial production of a first batch of 250 Altay main battle tanks. And in August 2016, it revised its bid and submitted its best and final offer to SSM.

In June 2017, Turkey has announced the relaunch of a tender to produce the local-made main battle tank Altay, after the Altay project from the Turkish Company Otokar was declined by SSM, the Turkish Undersecretariat of Defense Industries. Following this decision, SSM has launched another tender process. Three Turkish Companies including Otokar, FNSS and BMC were the bidders to response to this new tender.

In November 2017, the Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said that Turkey opened a new tender to launch mass production of 500 Altay main battle tanks, of which 250 were optional.

Previously, in the 2017-2021 Strategic Plan published by the SSM, the primary date for the first Altay Main Battle Tank entering service was set for 2020. According to the plan, the first 15 tanks will be put into service in 2020, while 20 tanks will be delivered in 2021.

The Altay is the future third generation main battle tank (MBT) for the Turkish army. The first prototypes of Turkey’s main battle tank ALTAY designed and developed by OTOKAR, the biggest privately owned company of the Turkish Defense Industry was unveiled at OTOKAR facilities in Sakarya on November 15th, 2012.

The main armament of the Altay MBT consists of one a 120mm L/55 smoothbore gun. It is fitted with a muzzle reference system, a thermal sleeve and fume extractor. Second armament includes one a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun mounted to the right of the main armament. A 12.7mm heavy machine gun is mounted on the right of the roof turret.

The ALTAY MBT is fitted with modular composite armours in order to protect the tank against all kinds of modern threats. The Turkish Company Roketsan was assigned to develop the Modular Armour Package by technology transfer also through Hyundai Rotem. Roketsan has the responsibility of design and development of ALTAY Turkish main battle tank Armor System. Roketsan has established a completely new ballistic protection infrastructure which has up-to-date design, production and test technologies brought together for light and heavy armoured vehicle protection solutions.