Türkiye Reveals Altuğ 8x8 IFV With 35 mm Unmanned Turret for Frontline Combat.

Türkiye’s BMC showcased its Altuğ 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle armed with ASELSAN’s SARP 100/35 unmanned turret at DIMDEX in Doha. The configuration reflects a growing regional focus on mobile, protected platforms capable of countering drones, light armor, and urban threats under modern Gulf combat conditions.

At DIMDEX 2026, inside Barzan Holdings’ hall, Army Recognition observed a full-scale Altuğ 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle from Türkiye’s BMC equipped with ASELSAN’s SARP 100/35 unmanned turret, presented as a modern mechanized solution shaped for Gulf operational realities, ranging from dense urban security missions to increasingly contested, drone-heavy battlefields.
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ASELSAN SARP 100/35 unmanned turret with stabilized 35 mm cannon, airburst-capable ammunition, coaxial machine gun and high-elevation sensors for engaging armored, aerial and dismounted threats under full crew protection (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).

The vehicle itself is pitched as a high-mobility, high-survivability 8x8 that can carry up to 12 personnel, with a three-strong crew and space for nine dismounts, positioning it as a true infantry carrier rather than a gun truck. BMC’s published figures point to a 711 hp Caterpillar C13 powerpack mated to an Allison 4000 series transmission, a top road speed of 110 km/h and a stated operational range beyond 800 km, complemented by four-axle hydraulic steering for maneuvering in tight urban grids. The same technical data highlights practical cross-country metrics that matter in the Gulf’s mixed terrain, including 120 cm fording depth, 60 cm vertical step, 220 cm trench crossing and over 40 cm ground clearance.

ASELSAN describes the SARP 100/35 as a stabilized, unmanned 35 mm weapon system designed for tracked or wheeled integration, built around a 35 mm automatic cannon with rapid burst, slow burst and single-shot modes. The ready-to-fire load is 100 rounds, backed by 200 additional spare rounds, and the system’s automatic linkless ammunition feeding mechanism is explicitly designed to carry multiple ammunition types at once so the crew can select effects to match the target. ASELSAN’s own documentation lists the main-gun ammunition family in broad operational terms, including armor-piercing, airburst and destructive options, a mix that turns a single turret into a practical answer for armored vehicles, troops in the open, troops behind cover and lightly protected structures.

Just as important for close combat, the turret supports secondary weapons. SARP 100/35 can be configured with either a 7.62 mm machine gun with up to 3,750 rounds or a 12.7 mm machine gun with 200 rounds, allowing operators to manage soft targets without expending 35 mm ammunition. The system also supports an optional remote weapon station where a 12.7 mm machine gun, 40 mm automatic grenade launcher or 7.62 mm machine gun can be mounted, preserving the main cannon for priority threats while giving the commander an independent engagement capability. On the display vehicle, smoke grenade launchers are integrated on the turret’s sides, consistent with a platform designed to fight under observation and rapidly obscure itself when exposed.

The turret’s engagement geometry is tuned for dynamic threats. The SARP 100/35 offers unlimited rotation and elevation from -10 to +45 degrees, with high traverse and elevation speeds that support rapid reaction against pop-up targets, including small unmanned aerial systems. Depending on configuration and protection level, the turret’s mass falls in the 3.75 to 4.5 tonne range, with armor protection aligned to STANAG 4569 Level 2. This level of protection reflects a balance between survivability and the weight constraints of an 8x8 platform. In parallel, the Altuğ’s broader survivability suite includes options such as laser warning receivers, active protection systems, gunshot detection and 360-degree situational awareness, indicating a design philosophy that treats firepower, sensors and countermeasures as a single combat system.

This combination fits a distinctly Gulf-centric problem set. A 35 mm cannon with selectable ammunition effects delivers credible overmatch against the light armored vehicles common across the region while also offering practical counter-UAS and counter-ambush capability, especially when airburst effects are employed against targets using defilade. The Altuğ’s speed, range and nine-dismount capacity support rapid reinforcement of critical infrastructure, convoy security and mobile reserve missions, while its digital architecture and communications are designed to integrate into joint command, control and surveillance networks.

For Qatar, the strategic logic is twofold. First, DIMDEX serves as a national showcase where Barzan Holdings can underline its role as a key enabler of Qatari Armed Forces capability through industrial partnerships and technology transfer. Second, the regional security environment is increasingly shaped by the spread of drones, loitering munitions and precision strike, making a mobile, sensor-enabled 35 mm turret highly relevant not only for Qatar but also for other Gulf and Middle Eastern delegations present in Doha. The Altuğ 8x8 armed with SARP 100/35 thus stands as a concrete illustration of how medium-weight armored forces are being adapted to counter both conventional and emerging threats across the region.