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Türkiye Starts Altuğ 8x8 Vehicle Production Alongside Altay Tank to Build Next‑Gen Armor Units.
Türkiye has begun full-scale production of the Altuğ 8x8 armored combat vehicle in parallel with the Altay main battle tank at BMC’s new facility in Ankara. The coordinated launch signals a comprehensive modernization of the Turkish Land Forces, pairing heavy armor with agile wheeled platforms for future operations.
On 28 October 2025, in Ankara, Türkiye marked the handover of its first series-produced Altay main battle tanks while presenting a broader modernization vision for its land forces. During the inauguration of BMC’s new armored vehicle production complex, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that the facility will produce eight Altay tanks and ten Altuğ 8x8 armored combat vehicles per month. This statement confirmed that the Altuğ program is now entering full-scale production and is being integrated with the Altay project, ensuring the Turkish Land Forces will field both heavy tracked and highly mobile wheeled platforms in parallel to enhance operational flexibility across different theatres.
The Altuğ 8x8 is a modular, high-mobility, mine-protected wheeled combat vehicle designed to carry infantry, integrate medium to heavy weapon stations, including a 35 mm turret or 105 mm gun, and operate alongside main battle tanks in modern, networked land operations (Picture Source: X-Account/@defence_turk)
What remained unclear during the ceremony was the exact Altuğ variant that will occupy those monthly production slots. BMC currently promotes three versions on its official materials: the Altuğ 8x8 IFV fitted with an unmanned 35 mm turret; the Altuğ 8x8 APC with lighter armament and more room for personnel; and the Altuğ 8x8 105 mm fire-support or “tank killer” configuration. Yet the vehicle actually displayed and demonstrated on the day of the announcement, right next to the Altay and in front of cameras, was the IFV variant. That choice is meaningful: by putting the most combat-capable and best-armed version in the spotlight, BMC signaled that the Land Forces’ immediate need is protected infantry able to follow and secure objectives captured by heavy units. It is therefore reasonable to assess that the first production batches will prioritize the IFV, which offers the best balance between firepower, protection and troop transport.
The Altuğ 8x8 itself has been conceived as a full-spectrum armored combat platform, not as a simple troop carrier. Its 8x8 drivetrain, powerful engine and multi-axle steering give it excellent mobility in urban areas and on confined roads, while its protection package, designed around STANAG 4569 levels and mine/IED threats, answers the operational experience Türkiye has gathered in Syria, Iraq and the Caucasus. The interior volume and modular roof structure allow the installation of different mission kits, from a 35 mm unmanned turret to C2 shelters and, if required, the 105 mm direct-fire system. With road speeds above 100 km/h and an operational range that allows long movements without heavy logistics tail, Altuğ enters the same capability space as other high-end Turkish 8x8s but with the distinctive advantage of having been engineered from the outset to accept heavier turrets and future electronic payloads such as counter-UAS, EW or networked optronics. This makes it a suitable candidate to become the standard wheeled combat vehicle for mechanized infantry assigned to armored formations.
By announcing Altuğ production in parallel with Altay, Ankara is also sketching a tactical pairing between the two platforms. A main battle tank brings decisive, protected firepower, but it needs infantry, reconnaissance and escort vehicles to survive in complex terrain and to hold what it captures. A wheeled 8x8 IFV able to keep pace on the road, deploy faster to border areas, enter urban zones with a smaller signature and carry dismounts under armor is exactly what a tank-centric force requires to become a maneuver force. Altuğ can act as the sensor and infantry layer around Altay, providing local security against anti-tank teams, drones and light armored threats, while Altay engages heavier targets. If, at a later stage, the 105 mm Altuğ version is also produced, the Turkish Land Forces will have a wheeled direct-fire option that can accompany tanks where the risk of close-range attack is high, without exposing a more expensive MBT.
The decision has a clear industrial and export dimension. Producing 96 Altay platforms per year and, in parallel, up to 120 Altuğ vehicles if the 10-per-month rate is maintained, gives BMC and Türkiye a compelling offer for partner countries that want an integrated armored solution. Some customers may not be ready, financially, doctrinally or logistically, to acquire a 65-tonne main battle tank, but they will be interested in a 30–35-tonne mine-protected 8x8 with a NATO-caliber gun, modern electronics and the possibility of local assembly. Anchoring Altuğ production in the same modern facility as Altay means that both vehicles benefit from the same quality controls, supply chain and national powerpack development, and it prevents the domestic 8x8 market from being dominated exclusively by other Turkish manufacturers. It also gives Ankara more room to propose packages that combine tracked and wheeled vehicles, recovery and logistics platforms, and indigenous propulsion, all under Turkish control.
There is also a strategic payoff. A domestically built Altuğ 8x8 gives Türkiye a rapidly deployable armored asset that can be sent to northern Syria, to the Iraqi border, to the Caucasus, to Thrace or to maritime peripheries much faster and with much less logistical burden than a tank unit. It provides the kind of protected mobility that is now indispensable in theatres where drones, loitering munitions and improvised explosive devices are common, and where state and non-state actors alike field anti-tank guided missiles. Being able to field, sustain and, if necessary, surge production of such a vehicle from a national line is directly in line with President Erdoğan’s stated objective of achieving full self-sufficiency in defense. It also reinforces Türkiye’s position as a supplier of complete land systems to friendly states, not just isolated platforms.
By locking the Altuğ 8x8 into a steady production rhythm alongside the Altay, Türkiye has ensured that its flagship tank will not advance alone but will be accompanied by the wheeled combat vehicles that make armored operations credible, flexible and exportable. The move consolidates BMC’s role, widens the national 8x8 portfolio, improves the Land Forces’ ability to operate in multiple theatres at once and sends a clear signal that Ankara wants a balanced, mixed armored fleet built at home and available for partners.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.