Altay MBT, Turkey's first ever home-grown tank

[Doktor]

Turkey’s first indigenous armoured vehicle, the Altay main battle tank, has been unveiled at a ceremony attended by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Defence Minister Ismet Yilmaz and procurement chief Murad Bayar.

This is the first of four prototypes to be manufactured by Otokar. The $500 million deal is a joint venture with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem – South Korea’s Turkish ambassador Lee Sang-kyu was also present for the unveiling.

“The four prototypes will undergo performance tests throughout 2013, and then we will pass into the final prototypes and serial production,” said Erdogan.

The prototypes had originally been pencilled in for delivery in 2015 but Erdogan indicated that they would be delivered “one or two years ahead of time.”

Earlier this year Serdar Görgüç, Otokar’s General Manager, told Turkish daily Today’s Zaman that despite recent discussions around the changing nature of war, the role of the tank is still a vital component of any modern fighting force.

He said: “If you want to step on a strong ground, you have to have advanced tanks. Tanks will remain indispensable to all armies around the world for many years to come. When Altay is completed, it will be the number one tank in the world.”

The Altay is named in commemoration of Army Gen. Fahrettin Altay, who was the commander of the 5th Cavalry Corps during the Turkish War of Independence.

Meet the Altay MBT, Turkey's first ever home-grown tank by Defence IQ Press

[xinhui]

they were doing some sort of M-60 mod about 10 years ago, is that the same project?

[TopHatter]

That is one serious looking tank.

[Minskaya]

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A different design altogether, but the forward slope of the turret reminds me a bit of the Merkava...

[Chogy]

From the perspective of an Armor novice, that looks like a nice design. But we know what makes a tank great cannot be seen with the naked eye from the outside.

[TTL]

they were doing some sort of M-60 mod about 10 years ago, is that the same project?

Wiki says it is designed using help and tech transfer from South Korean K2.

[Big K]

Otokar Altay MBT Prototype 1 On Test Field - YouTube

i found this on youtube

[USSWisconsin]

I wonder how many they'll build

[bigross86]

The fact that the entire track system is open on the sides is a serious flaw. Most MBT's today have what the IDF calls "Bazooka Plates" to cover up at least a part of the track system and to add an extra layer for a missile/round to hit before impacting the turret. The Merkava's have it, the Abrams' have it, the T80/95/99's have it, the Challenger's have it, the Leo 2's have it. The video shows some sort of skirt being used, but that offers absolutely zero protection

Moreover, I see way too many 90 degree angles on that turret. 3/4 of the turret are all 90 degree angles, or relatively close to it. Ask any tankie, 90 degree angles are bad. They the gunner/launcher plenty of target space to aim at, offer an incoming missile/round loads of target space to hit, and there is very little chance of a round glancing off. Look at the Leo 2, the Abrams M1A2 SEP and the Merkava 4. Their turrets are all slanted upwards and inwards, increasing the chances a round may not penetrate entirely.

Finally, I didn't see much room for turret bustles at the rear of the turret. As someone that is well used to dismounting and taking care of our own maintenance (as much as can be expected, obviously, not necessitating the use of extremely specialized equipment), I want to be able to carry as much as I physically can. Plus, large turret bustles mean you can store your own gear outside the tank, increasing turret room, and you have more room for the goodie box.

Now obviously, this is just looking from the outside. I haven't seen it in any real action, don't know anything about the propulsion system, armament, maneuver capabilities, etc and it has no combat record whatsoever (granted, it is a new tank).

Seeing as Turkey has very little experience designing a homegrown MBT, it made sense for them to team up with a foreign company, and Hyundai Rotem does seem to have the experience, what with the K1A1 and the K2 MBT's, but given the choice, I still would not want to get into the Altay, especially when there are MBT's out there already in service that seem to answer all three problems I raised with the Altay's body.

That's my opinion, maybe Davey or tankie will stop by at some point and chime in

[USSWisconsin]

it appears to have a substantial shot trap under the main gun, all along the front of the turret.

[Doktor]

A total of 1000 MBTs are planned to be produced in four separate lots of 250 units. Every delivered lot is expected to have additional upgrades.

Wiki took it from here.

[Big K]

.....The fact that the entire track system is open on the sides is a serious flaw. Most MBT's today have what the IDF calls "Bazooka Plates" to cover up at least a part of the track system and to add an extra layer for a missile/round to hit before impacting the turret. The Merkava's have it, the Abrams' have it, the T80/95/99's have it, the Challenger's have it, the Leo 2's have it. The video shows some sort of skirt being used, but that offers absolutely zero protection....

i can have no objection because i dont have any experience about anykind of tanks but i wonder if you mean "Bazooka Plates" like these in this pic? or they should be wider?

[Doktor]

I think he wants them to cover more.

On a second thought he only saw the pic on the post #1 and your video in #7 and thought it's a shame they don't have plates.

[TTL]

Can it be deduced from the pics if the turret is real or a mock-up? I remember reading in a turkish site that some pics of altay were from a mobility test with fake turrets.

[bigross86]

i can have no objection because i dont have any experience about anykind of tanks but i wonder if you mean "Bazooka Plates" like these in this pic? or they should be wider?

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I think he wants them to cover more.

On a second thought he only saw the pic on the post #1 and your video in #7 and thought it's a shame they don't have plates.

Yes, I am referring to those, and yes, I would prefer them to be wider/lower and cover more of the track system.

Another difference I noted between the Altay and the Merkava 4 is amount of wheels on each track. The Merkava has 6 with a spacing between #4 and #5, so if a round hits the track system, under the right circumstances you can shorten the track and still run it on the front 4 wheels. You lose maneuverability, sure, but you can still move. I don't see that on the Altay. Then again, I don't see it on the Abrams, Challenger, Leo 2, or the T-80/90/95 series, so it could just be an Israeli quirk. I am analyzing the Altay based on my experience in the IDF, obviously.