Development
In order to improve the current technical capabilities of the Turkish defense industries and increase the amount of domestic contribution towards national defense, the Undersecreteriat for Defense Industries decided that a "National Tank" will serve as an excellent catalyst for uniting certain Turkish defense companies around a common goal and for providing the Turkish military with extra firepower in the form of a modern tank.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense allocated a budget of $1 billion for the development of the Altay.
The military electronics company ASELSAN manufactures and integrates Volkan III modular fire control system, command, control and information systems while state-owned MKEK (Mechanical and Chemical Industries Corporation) agreed for the production and integration of a modified and licensed produced Rheinmetall 120 mm gun. Another state company Roketsan designs an indigenous armor.
Once the prototypes are produced and tested, the Undersecreteriat for Defense Industries of the Republic of Turkey will prepare and execute a separate order for the first lot of 250 tanks. A total of 1000 MBTs are planned to be produced in four separate lots of 250 units. Every delivered lot is expected to have additional upgrades.
Production history
DesignerOtokar (main contractor)
Aselsan (sub-systems and fire control system)
MKEK (main gun system)
Roketsan (armour package)
Hyundai Rotem (technical support and assistance)
Designed 2008–2016
Manufacturer 1st Army Maintenance Center Command
Unit cost USD $13.75 million
No. built 4 prototypes being tested. A total of 1,000 MBTs are planned to be produced in four separate lots of 250 units
Specifications
Weight 65 tonnes (72 short tons; 64 long tons)
Length 7.3 metres (24 ft) (hull), 10.3 metres (34 ft) (gun forward)
Width 3.9 metres (13 ft)
Height 2.6 metres (8.5 ft)[10]Crew 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
ArmorRoketsan composite armour
Main
armament
Mkek120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun
Secondary
armament
1 × Aselsan STAMP/II 12.7 mm stabilized remote controlled turret
1 x 7.62 mm coaxial machine gunEngine Multi-fuel
1,500 hp (MTU)or 1,800 hp (local design)SuspensionHydropneumatic
Operational
range
500 kilometres (310 mi)Speed 70 km/h (43 mph) max.[
