Turkish Company Otokar ready to start mass production of local-made Altay main battle tank 10504161

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Defence & Security News - Turkey
 
Turkish Company Otokar ready to start mass production of local-made Altay main battle tank
According the website of Hurriyet Daily News, the Turkish Defense Company Otokar is now ready to start the mass production of the first local-made main battle tank (MBT) called Altay. The Altay is set to become one of the world's advanced main battle tank and the backbone of the Turkish Armed Forces.
     
According the website of Hurriyet Daily News, the Turkish Defense Company Otokar is now ready to start the mass production of the first local-made main battle tank (MBT) called Altay. The Altay is set to become one of the world's advanced main battle tank and the backbone of the Turkish Armed Forces. Turkish-made main battle tank Altay at military parade in Turkey (Picture source Armored Warfare Forum)
     

“If we are assigned to the task, we are ready to fulfill all the obligations with the highest sensitivity and ambition in the Altay tank project, which is Turkey’s biggest land systems project,” Anadolu Agency quoted Otokar’s board chairman, Ali Koç, as saying on April 3.

“We are ready for the job, with our human resource, from the subcontractor to our workers, experience, abilities and our passion to serve the best for our country,” said the chairman.

The mass production of the Altay tank is among the main agenda items in Otokar’s future goals. Otokar, in accordance with the “Modern Tank Production Project with National Opportunities – 1st Period Turkish Main Combat Tank Design and Prototype Production Main Agreement” signed with the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) in 2008, has completed the development process and prototype production.

While the user system qualification and acceptance tests were ongoing, the proposal on serial production was presented to the SSM on Jan. 18 in accordance with the agreement and project schedule. After the SSM’s (Turkish Defence Industry Association) evaluation, an opinion about the mass production process will be formed.

The Altay Project 2nd Period Mass Production Project involves the production of 250 tanks and their integrated logistical support activities.

The first prototypes of Turkey’s main battle tank ALTAY designed and developed by OTOKAR, the biggest privately owned company of the Turkish Defence Industry was unveiled at OTOKAR facilities in Sakarya on November 15th, 2012.

The first ALTAY prototype had already covered more than 2.000 kilometers during tests up to now.

The main armament of ALTAY is a 120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun suitable for various kinds of rounds. The Turkish Company MKE was assigned to manufacture the 120 mm 55 caliber Main Armament by technology transfer from Hyundai Rotem of South Korea.

The Turkish-made main battle tank Altay has already received much interest from the country’s allies, such as Pakistan and Gulf countries.