During a live demonstration of combat vehicles that was held at the Turkish company BMC factory on January 23, 2021, Turkey has unveiled a new modernized version of Leopard 2A4 German-made main battle tank (MBT) fitted with an Altay MBT turret.
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The new Turkish-made modernized version of Leopard 2A4 main battle tank fitted an Altay turret. (Picture source Twitter)
According to the SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) Arms Trade Database, in 2009, Turkey has purchased the first batch of 56 second-hand Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tanks from Germany that were delivered from 2010 to 2014. These tanks have been modernized to the standard NG (Next Generation) by the Turkish company Aselsan.
According to the Military Balance 2020, the Turkish army has a total of 2,379 MBTs including 316 Leopard 2A4, 170 Leopard 1A4, and 227 Leopard 1A3.
The Leopard 2A4 is an upgraded version of the first generation of Leopard 2 MBT including an automated fire and explosion suppression system, an all-digital fire control system able to handle new ammunition types and an improved turret with flat titanium/tungsten armor.
The Leopard 2A4 is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore gun which has been developed by Rheinmetall. A 7.62mm coaxial machine gun is mounted to the left side of the main armament and one 7.62mm machine gun to the hatch of the loader. Two banks of four 76mm smoke grenade dischargers are mounted to each side of the turret.
The Leopard 2NG was upgraded with a new armor package including heavy track skirts, gun mantlet, turret, front armor protection, armor protection against improvised explosive devices, underbelly protection, turret protection, and slat armor mounted at the rear side of the hull.
The Leopard 2NG is also fitted with new optics and fire control system integrated by local components produced by the company Aselsan. With the upgrade package, ASELSAN replaces all of the electronic, electro-optic, electro-mechanical and electro-hydraulic systems of the Leopard 2A4 MBTs with newly developed state-of-the-art systems.
The new modernized Leopard 2A4 that was presented at the BMC factory fitted with an Altay turret which is armed with one 120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun designed and manufactured by the Turkish Company MKE based on technology transfer from Hyundai Rotem of South Korea. A remote-controlled weapon station is mounted on the top of the turret which is armed with a 12.7mm caliber heavy machine gun.
