Türkiye Finally Receives Its First Altay Tanks After Long Delays
Türkiye has finally received the domestically produced Altay main battle tanks it has been waiting for over 10 years. The first batch of three tanks marks the beginning of a new era for the Turkish Land Forces Command, which had relied solely on second-hand tanks in its inventory since 1940. The delivery ceremony also included the opening of BMC’s 63,000-square-meter closed-area serial production facility. This facility will produce eight Altay tanks and ten Altuğ 8X8 armored combat vehicles per month.
The event, which celebrated two major milestones, was held in the capital Ankara and was attended by senior officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saud Bin Abdurrahman Bin Hasan Bin Ali Al Sani.
In his speech at the ceremony, President Erdoğan emphasized that it was a historic moment of pride for the Turkish defense industry. He stated that both the Altay tank and the new facility demonstrated that the trust placed in Turkish engineers had not been misplaced. He stressed that Türkiye was moving toward the goal of full independence in the defense industry, noting that despite embargoes, significant progress had been achieved, and efforts to eliminate dependence on foreign suppliers for critical materials would continue with determination.
Named after Fahrettin Altay, the commander of the 5th Cavalry Corps during the Turkish War of Independence, the Altay is one of Türkiye’s most significant defense industry projects. The first contract for the Altay tank was signed in 2008, and within that scope, Otokar developed two prototypes. However, the serial production contract for the Altay project was later awarded to BMC. On November 9, 2018, the Altay Tank Mass Production Contract was signed, and it was reported at the ceremony that serial manufacturing of 250 Altay tanks was planned in the first stage.
According to the initial timeline, the first tank was to be delivered to the Turkish Land Forces within 18 months, but deliveries were severely delayed due to engine and transmission supply restrictions imposed by Germany following Türkiye’s Peace Spring Operation in northern Syria. To overcome this obstacle, Turkish officials struck an agreement with South Korean companies Doosan and S&T Dynamics for the Altay, which could not initially be manufactured owing to a ‘engine problem’, in the fourth quarter of 2021. Two Altay tanks equipped with the South Korean power pack were delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces in 2023 for testing purposes.
According to BMC’s current delivery schedule, a total of 85 Altay-T1 variants will be delivered to the Land Forces Command between 2026 and 2028; the distribution is planned as 11 in 2026, 41 in 2027, and 30 in 2028. Starting in 2028, 165 Altay-T2 variants will be supplied. Turkish Defense Industry President Haluk Görgün announced that the T1 variant tanks will be produced with engines imported from South Korea, while the T2 versions will use the BATU domestic power unit produced by BMC Power.
The T1 variant, renamed “New ALTAY,” has gained a lot of additional capabilities over the initial prototypes of the original ALTAY tank, and many of its critical subsystems have been refurbished and localized. Ammunition racks, turret ring gear, rotor, flat periscopes, gunner’s auxiliary sight system, manual ignition system, fuel-heating and bilge pumps, hydraulic pumps, road wheels, and cooling vests are among the systems localized in this process.
The Turkish defense company Aselsan supplied the systems grouped under the categories of firepower, protection, and mobility in the new Altay tank, also known as the Iron Triangle. The VOLKAN-II Fire Control System, SARP Remote Controlled Weapon System, NIDGAB Gunner Secondary Sight Firing Unit, Tank Crew Training System, Battlefield Recognition and Identification System, KARTALGÖZÜ-200 Commander and Gunner Periscope System, and ATS-70 E/O Sight are among the systems provided by ASELSAN to the new Altay tank under the firepower category. The tank is outfitted with the ANS-420K Inertial Navigation System, GÖREN-200 Driver Vision System, Tank Driver Vision System, and Turret Slip Ring in the mobility category, and the AKKOR Active Protection System, Tank Command Control Communication Information System, LİAS-100 Tank Laser Warning System, ÖRÜMCEK Close Range Surveillance System, Communication Systems, and Internal Communication Systems in the protection category.
The features of the T2 variant, other than its use of a domestically produced engine, are currently unknown; however, it is expected to be significantly more advanced than the T1 model in terms of maneuverability, firepower, and active protection systems.