Turkey: BMC has received contract to produce 250 Altay MBTs.

Turkish Company BMC has officially received the contract to produce the local-made Altay Main Battle Tank (MBT) for Turkish army. On Friday, November 2018, the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) inked a contract with BMC to start the mass production of Altay MBT that will include a total of 250 tanks.

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

A first batch of 40 main battle tanks will be produced followed by 210 more tanks. In April 2018, it was announced that the Turkish Company BMC, a manufacturer of wheeled armored and tactical vehicles, has won the contract to continue the development and production of the indigenous MBT Main Battle Tank dubbed Altay.

The Turkish National Main Battle Tank Project began in 2005. In September 2010, the conceptual design phase of Altay was completed. The first prototypes of Turkey’s main battle tank ALTAY designed and developed by OTOKAR, the biggest privately owned company of the Turkish Defence Industry was unveiled at OTOKAR facilities in Sakarya on November 15th, 2012.

The design of ALTAY has been realized in order to fulfill all kinds of operational requirements derived from the technical and tactical demands of the Turkish Armed Forces. In this scope, ALTAY has been equipped with the latest technologies that are used in the modern tanks. With its superior fire power and hit rate, high mobility and survivability features, it’s anticipated that ALTAY will be one of the fundamental and deterrent assets of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Many Turkish defense companies are involved for the manufacturing of Altay MBT including Roketsan, Aselsan, Havelsan and the Machinery and Chemical Industry Institute (MKEK). The first prototype of the Altay was motorized with a a 1,500 hp diesel engine from Germany's MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH. The director of BMC said that the Altay will be powered by a new engine purchased from our foreign partners.

The main armament of ALTAY  consits of one 120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun suitable for various kinds of rounds. The Turkish Company MKE was assigned to manufacture the 120 mm 55 caliber Main Armament by technology transfer from Hyundai Rotem of South Korea. Second armament of the Altay MBT will include a 12.7 mm remote-controlled turret and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun.

The design of ALTAY has been realized in order to fulfill all kinds of operational requirements derived from the technical and tactical demands of the Turkish Armed Forces. 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.