It was a historic day in the Turkish defence industry. After years of development, testing and indigenisation, our national main battle tank, named after Fahrettin Altay, the hero of the War of Independence ALTAY, and the renewed and more powerful “New ALTAY” The tank was handed over to the glorious Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) with a magnificent ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This ceremony, which took place at BMC's Tank and New Generation Armoured Vehicles Production Facility in Ankara, went down in history not only as the entry of a tank into the inventory, but also as a day of pride in which embargoes were overcome and national technology reached its peak thanks to the efforts of MKE, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN and nearly 200 local companies.
Historic Day in Defence Industry: The First “New ALTAY” in the TAF Inventory with the Participation of President Erdoğan!
The most important threshold in the ALTAY project, which is being carried out under the coordination of the Presidency of Defence Industries with BMC as the prime contractor, has been crossed. At the ceremony organised with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the first “New ALTAY” tanks, whose serial production has started, were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces to complete the testing and qualification processes. This delivery went down in history as the most concrete fruit of the serial production contract for 250 units signed on 9 November 2018.
Its name is ALTAY, its spirit is ‘NEW’: Here Are the National Systems That Carried It to the Top of the World
“The term ”New ALTAY“ refers to the tremendous technological evolution the tank has undergone since the prototypes. Turning the challenges into opportunities, the Turkish defence industry has developed many critical components of the tank with domestic and national capabilities, resulting in a far superior platform. Here are the national touches that make the ”New ALTAY" one of the most ambitious tanks in its class:
Strategic Production Plan: 250 Tank Giant Fleet is Coming, Target National Engine BATU!
The road map of the project has been meticulously planned both to meet the urgent needs of the Turkish Armed Forces and to achieve the goal of full independence.
- Total Production: Total within the scope of the project 250 ALTAY tanks It will be acquired by the Land Forces Command.
- Progressive Configuration: In the first phase 85 units in T1 configuration, followed by a new, even more advanced 165 units in T2 configuration tank will be produced.
- Two-phase Power Group Strategy: In order not to delay the needs of the TAF, The mass production process started with the imported power pack. In the meantime, a new programme developed by BMC Power domestic and national BATU Power Group test ve kalifikasyon süreçleri devam edecek. BATU’nun hazır hale gelmesiyle birlikte üretim bandı tamamen milli motora geçecek ve ALTAY tankları kalbinde de %100 milli güçle yola devam edecek.
ALTAY's Fire from MKE: 120mm Barrel Can Fire 6 Shots Per Minute
The most important power of a tank is its firepower. Both the main and auxiliary weapon systems of ALTAY are the flagship projects of the Mechanical and Chemical Industry (MKE).
- Main Weapon: Produced by MKE 120 millimetre diameter, 55 calibre (6.6 metres) smoothbore the main weapon system has an effective range of 3,000 metres and a 6 shots with its ability to do so, it establishes a deterrent superiority in the field.
- Auxiliary Weapon: Integrated into the tower MKE PMT-76/57A Machine Gun, It is a highly effective close defence system that can reach a rate of fire of up to 950 rounds per minute and has a life of 22,000 rounds thanks to its cold forged barrel.
ASELSAN Signature Eyes, Brain and Shield: VOLKAN-II, AKKOR and Others
If MKE is the tank's muscle, ASELSAN is its brain, eyes and protective shield. The state-of-the-art systems developed by ASELSAN transform the ALTAY into a smart and deadly war machine:
- VOLKAN-II Fire Control System: Equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology, this system gives ALTAY a very high first-shot accuracy against targets, even on the move.
- AKKOR Active Protection System: It is a vital system that destroys anti-tank missiles and rockets in the air before they reach the target and acts as an invisible shield for the tank.
- Remote Controlled Weapon System (RCWS): It allows the crew to safely use the machine gun without leaving the armour protection.
- Other Systems: Many indigenous avionics such as the Battlefield Recognition and Identification System and the Tank Command Control Information System make ALTAY fully integrated into the digital warfare network of the Turkish Armed Forces.
ROKETSAN Armour: No Passage in the Field with New Generation Hybrid Protection!
“New ALTAY” is protected by ROKETSAN's advanced armour technology. New generation hybrid armour structure, With its optimised architecture and resistance to multiple hits, it offers the tank one of the highest levels of protection in its class. With the integration of ASELSAN AKKOR system in addition to passive and reactive armour layers, ALTAY has become an impenetrable fortress against the most modern anti-tank threats.
More than a Tank: A Joint Victory of 200 Companies Led by BMC
ALTAY is not the joint victory of a single company, but of a large national ecosystem. Main contractor BMC‘under the leadership of the Turkish Defence Ministry, the majority of which is local Nearly 200 subcontractors is involved in this project. 12-cylinder diesel engine with 1500 horsepower ALTAY, which can reach a speed of 65 km/h and exhibits superior manoeuvrability in all terrain conditions thanks to its hydropneumatic suspension, is the most concrete indicator of the level reached by Turkish industry and engineering.
Key words: ALTAY tank, New ALTAY, first delivery, 28 October, TAF, BMC, MKE, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, BATU Power Group, main battle tank, domestic tank, national defence industry, AKKOR, VOLKAN-II
