Türkiye's leading land systems exporter Otokar and Italian defence giant Leonardo have passed a critical threshold in their cooperation in the field of advanced land combat systems. The TULPAR Medium Tank platform, equipped with Leonardo's HITFACT MkII 120 mm turret, has successfully completed integration and live firing tests. According to Otokar's statement, this development represents a significant milestone in the cooperation between the two companies.
Main Battle Tank Firepower, Light Platform Mobility
The resulting configuration combines main battle tank-level firepower with TULPAR's mobility, protection and modular tracked architecture. The 120 mm HITFACT MkII turret brings the striking power of a standard main battle tank to a far lighter and more mobile platform. This approach provides significant operational flexibility, particularly in regions with infrastructure constraints or in scenarios requiring rapid deployment.
TULPAR is a tracked armoured vehicle family developed by Otokar, with a modular structure that can be scaled from 28 tonnes up to 45 tonnes and adapted to different mission profiles. The platform has undergone extensive testing in harsh climate and terrain conditions.
Successful Tests Confirm Operational Readiness
According to Otokar's statement, the successful trial campaign demonstrated the seamless integration of Leonardo's latest turret technology with Otokar's next-generation tracked platform. The tests not only confirmed the combined solution's performance, interoperability and operational readiness, but also affirmed TULPAR's growth potential and flexibility for demanding future mission requirements.
The Leonardo HITFACT MkII is an upgraded version of the 120 mm turret system used on the Italian Army's Centauro II wheeled armoured vehicle. Alongside high firepower, the system offers advanced fire control and target detection capabilities.
This cooperation forms part of Otokar's growing presence in the European market in recent years. The company had won a major 1,059-vehicle tender in Romania and, by acquiring the Automecanica factory for €85 million, became the first Turkish armoured vehicle manufacturer to produce within the European Union's borders. The testing of TULPAR with Leonardo's turret also demonstrates Otokar's integration capability with European defence companies.
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