×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

Otokar Altay


Main Battle Tank (MBT)


Turkiye | 2023



"Some 1,000 Altay Main Battle Tanks are slated for procurement by the modernizing Turkish Army."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Otokar Altay Main Battle Tank (MBT).
1 x MTU diesel engine developing 1,500 (early) /1,800 (late) horsepower driving track-and-wheel arrangement.
Installed Power
43 mph
70 kph
Road Speed
311 miles
500 km
Range
Structure
The physical qualities of the Otokar Altay Main Battle Tank (MBT).
4
(MANNED)
Crew
33.8 ft
10.3 meters
O/A Length
12.8 ft
3.9 meters
O/A Width
8.5 ft
2.6 meters
O/A Height
143,300 lb
65,000 kg | 71.7 tons
Weight
Armament & Ammunition
Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Otokar Altay Main Battle Tank (MBT).
1 x 120mm L/55 Roketsan smoothbore main gun in turret.
1 x 7.62mm co-axial machine gun in turret.
1 x Aselsan STAMP/II remote controlled turret (12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun - HMG) on turret roof.
8 x 2 Smoke Grenade Dischargers on turret.
AMMUNITION:
40 x 120mm projectiles (estimated).
3,200 x 12.7mm ammunition (estimated).
10,000 x 7.62mm ammunition (estimated).
16 x Smoke Grenades.
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Otokar Altay family line.
Altay - Base Series Designation
Aktay-T1 - Upgraded production standard; Turkish Army standard.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/07/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

As one of the latest generation of Main Battle Tanks (MBT) currently in development, the new "Altay" tank is set to become one of the world's most advanced combat platforms of its type while at the same time becoming a symbol of national pride as the first MBT design initiative in thFe Turkish history to achieve quantitative production. The Altay is expected to see formal introduction into operational service in 2015-2016 assuming it successfully passes testing and extensive evaluations of its various automotive and technological systems. The Turkish government plans to procure some 250 initial vehicles in early batch purchasing with the lofty eventual goal of 1,000 stated. The triumph of the Altay MBT program will be in producing a largely indigenous Main Battle Tank offering that can compete with the modern systems of the world - Turkey does maintain one of the largest and most powerful militaries in the world today, ahead of even some perennial European powers. Production is set to ensue out of the 1st Army Maintenance Center Command facility with each Altay system costing approximately $5.5 million USD. At project's end, the Altay should compare favorably with other well-known combat tank systems including the latest incarnations of the M1 Abrams, Merkava, Challenger II and Leopard 2.

The Turkish government commissioned the Turkish National Main Battle Tank Project as early as 2005. After initial agreements were signed in 2007, design work on the Altay began in 2008 (under the project name of "Milli Tank Uretim Projesi ALTAY" or "MITUP ALTAY") and has since involved the Turkish concerns of Otokar, Aselsan and Roketsan as well as technical assistance and support from the South Korean firm of Hyundai ROTEM (developers of the K1 and K2 series Main Battle Tanks for the South Korean Army). As such, the Altay shares some visual similarities with the South Korean tank designs and will be very modern though distinct in its overall form. The one exception in design appears to be the turret which will be mostly indigenous in its origin to better fulfill Turkish Army requirements. Otokar will be the primary defense contractor while Roketsan will handle the armor development. Makine ve Kimya Endustrisi Kurumu (MKE) will be charged with development of the main gun and applicable systems. Further development will include various subcontractors which have not been named as of this writing. A mock-up of the Altay was first unveiled to observers during the International DEfense Industry Fair (IDEF) presentation in mid-2011 with an initial prototype expected to be made ready by 2015 with a total of four prototypes delivered by Otokar in whole.

Outwardly, the Altay will showcase a most modern appearance with sharp clean lines throughout. The turret will be of low profile design as will the hull. The hull sides will be protected by skirt armor along the upper track regions. There will be seven double-tired road wheels to a track side (as opposed to the six featured on the South Korean K2) with the drive sprocket at rear and the track idler at the front. The glacis plate will be exceedingly shallow, nearly horizontal in its presentation while the hull roof will be decidedly flat. The engine will reside in a rear-set compartment. The turret will feature some overhang over the engine cover to promote increased internal storage for ammunition and key systems. Compared with the South Korean K2, the Altay will sport a longer hull and more armor, hence the need for a seventh road wheel on the track assembly.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.


As with most modern MBTs of this class, the Altay will field a 120mm smoothbore main gun in a 360-degree powered traversing turret allowing for unfettered engagement of targets from any angle. The main gun will be digitally stabilized for "firing on the move" and the Aselsan/STM Volkan-III modular fire control system will be computer-assisted. A fume extractor will be set along the main gun near the mantlet area and the gun will sport a thermal sleeve. A 7.62mm coaxial machine gun will be fitted next to the main gun while a 12.7mm heavy machine gun is intended to counter threats from light armored vehicles and low flying aircraft. Additional armament may also include the STAMP/II series remote controlled turret being developed by Aselsan. Smoke grenade dischargers will be featured in twin banks of four along the turret sides (for a total of 16 x smoke grenades).

The crew will be conventional in duty and layout, consisting of a driver in the front right hull and the tank commander, gunner and loader in the turret. The commander and gunner will reside in the right side of the turret with the loader to the left, the commander behind and slightly above the gunner's position. The hull will be suspended by a torsion bar suspension system. Overall, the vehicle will sport an operational weight of 66 tons, in line with other MBTs of the world. There will be standard MBT fixtures in the design of the Altay including an integrated NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) system as well as stabilized laser range finders, night vision and thermal imaging.

The selected powerplant of the Altay series will vary between the two initial and two latter production batches. The first 500 tanks will be completed with an MTU-brand multi-fuel diesel engine of 1,500 horsepower whilst the final 500 series examples will be given an indigenous multi-fuel diesel engine of 1,800 horsepower. Top speed is estimated to be 43 miles per hour on ideal surfaces.

It is not out of the scope of the Altay project that the chassis will serve as the basis for a family of armored vehicles including trainer versions, command vehicles, armored recovery vehicles and the like. Some sources suggest that the Altay may also be offered up for foreign export orders in the future - Columbia and Pakistan having been mentioned as possible suitors. All told, the Altay will be completed to NATO-standards so former Soviet/Russian customers will see a learning and logistics curve of sorts

Incidentally, the Altay name comes from Turkish Army General Fahrettin Altay who commanded with distinction during the Turkish War of Independence (1919 - 1923). The name Altay itself comes from the Altai Mountains (note spelling) of Central Asia, the accepted ancestral homeland of the Turkish peoples. Translation of "Altay" becomes "Red pony" in reference to the mounts of their early warriors.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

November 2018 - The Turkish Army has signed a contract for 250 Altay MBTs (Altay-T1 standard) through supplier BMC. The deal will supply an initial batch of 40 tanks over the course of the next two years.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Otokar Altay. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.

Total Production: 10 Units

Contractor(s): Otokar / Aselsan / Roketsan / BMC - Turkey ; ROTEM - South Korea
National flag of Turkey

[ Turkey (planned) ]
1 / 1
Image of the Otokar Altay
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Going Further...
The Otokar Altay Main Battle Tank (MBT) appears in the following collections:
HOME
ARMOR INDEX
ARMOR BY COUNTRY
VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE VEHICLES
VEHICLES BY CONFLICT
VEHICLES BY TYPE
VEHICLES BY DECADE
MODERN TANKS
MODERN ARTILLERY
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)