Turkey’s work in the defense industry continues at full speed. Our domestic companies, which attract attention especially with their UAV and SİHA projects, also show themselves in other areas. Finally, BMC Defense drew attention to domestic and national defense industry projects with the “Press and Media Meeting” it organized. The release date of the Altay tank, one of Turkey’s leading defense industry projects, was also announced at the event. Here are the details…
When will the Altay tank be in the TAF inventory?
Of course, the Altay tank was at the center of the event organized by BMC Defense. In addition, information was given on products such as the new generation Storm Howitzer and the new generation armored Vehicle Altug 8×8. Many questions were answered at the event. The most striking of these was when Altay would be put into service. BMC CEO Murat Yalçıntaş announced that the production of the first two Altay tanks has reached the final stage and will be delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces for testing at the end of April.
As you know, Altay was a project that has been on the agenda of defense industry enthusiasts for a long time. The reason for this long wait is also explained. Mehmet Karaaslan, the general manager of the company, stated that the project was delayed because the sub-systems such as the engine and transmission, which were supposed to be supplied from abroad, could not be received due to export permits, and that a completely different tank was developed thanks to this delay.
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According to BMC officials, if the tests are completed successfully, mass production of the New Altay tank will begin in the second half of 2026. So, what are the features of the tank, which will be fully put into service in 2026?
Altai features
| Barrel Diameter | 120mm (4.7in) |
|---|---|
| Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, driver, loader) |
| armor | Roketsan: A new type of boron carbide-based armor. |
| main weapon | MKEK 120 mm L/55 smoothbore gun |
| other weapons | 1 × Aselsan SARP 12.7 mm heavy machine gun / 40 mm grenade launcher |
| Engine/Power group | 1) Made in South Korea 2) BMC Batu V12 turbo diesel engine, 27,300 cc (1,670 cu in), 1,500 PS (1,100 kW) 3) TÜMOSAN |
| suspension hardware | hydropneumatic suspension |
| Curb weight | T1 61,700 kg (136,000 lb) 61.7 tons T2 65,000 kg (143,000 lb) 65 tons (It will vary according to the configurations.) |
| range of action | 450 km (280 miles) |
| Max speed | 65 km/h (40 mph) (asphalt), 45 km/h (28 mph) (terrain) |
| unit cost | $5.4 million |
So what do you think about this subject? Do you think the Altay tank and Turkey’s efforts in the defense industry are successful? You can share your views with us in the comments section.