Türkiye has begun mass production of its first domestically-made main battle tank, the Altay, according to a top defense official’s announcement on May 29th, 2024.
BMC Defense has initiated serial production of the Altay main battle tank at its Ankara facility. This large-scale project envisions the manufacturing of 1,000 Altays for the Turkish Armed Forces. With a targeted production rate of eight tanks per month, BMC aims to deliver an initial batch of 250 Altay tanks.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) received two pre-production Altay tanks from BMC in April 2023 for testing purposes. The Altay boasts a 120mm L/55 smoothbore gun, 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine guns, and ammunition capacity for 40 rounds of 120mm shells.
These tanks are equipped with cutting-edge technology, including a new active protection system, enhanced armor, upgraded fire-control and vehicle control systems, and various other domestically-developed subsystems. The Altay MBT is designed to meet the evolving needs of the Turkish Land Forces, offering advanced capabilities suited for contemporary and future battlefields.
A key aspect of the Altay program is the development of a domestic powerpack solution. This critical component encompasses the engine and transmission system, directly impacting the tank’s performance. By sourcing the powerpack domestically, Türkiye aims to reduce reliance on foreign technology and strengthen its self-sufficiency in defense production.
A military history enthusiast, Richard began at Forecast International as editor of the World Weapons Weekly newsletter. As the Internet grew in importance as a research tool, he helped design the company's Forecast Intelligence Center and currently coordinates the EMarket Alert newsletters for clients. Richard also manages social media efforts, including two new blogs: Defense & Security Monitor, covering defense systems and international issues, and Flight Plan, which focuses on commercial aviation and space systems. For over 30 years, Richard has authored the Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume I (North America) and Volume II (International) services. The two books provide detailed data on major aerospace and defense contractors. He also edits the International Contractors service, a database that tracks all the contractors involved in the programs covered in the FI library. More recently he was appointed Manager, Information Services Group (ISG), a new unit that encompasses developing outbound content for both Forecast International and Military Periscope.
