Altay

The Altay main battle tank originated from the Turkish National Tank Production Project (MİTÜP), a mid-1990s initiative to establish domestic infrastructure for the development and maintenance of main battle tanks. The project formally began on March 30, 2007, when the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries awarded a design and development contract to Otokar. In July 2008, a technology transfer agreement was signed with Hyundai Rotem to provide design assistance based on the K2 Black Panther. Otokar produced the first prototypes by late 2016. In 2018, BMC replaced Otokar as the main contractor for mass production. The program faced delays due to a German arms embargo on engines and transmissions, leading to the adoption of a South Korean powerpack for the initial T1 variant and the development of the domestic BATU V12 engine for the T2 variant. Mass production officially commenced on September 5, 2025.

The Altay is a fourth-generation main battle tank equipped with an MKE 120 mm 55-caliber smoothbore gun. The main gun is a derivative of the South Korean CN08, redesigned without an autoloader. Secondary armament consists of a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and a remote-controlled weapon station. Protection is provided by a Roketsan composite armor package based on the Korean Special Armor Plate and add-on reactive armor. The vehicle integrates the AKKOR active protection system, which includes hard and soft kill capabilities and an electronic warfare suite. For crew survivability, the design includes an isolated ammunition compartment in the turret bustle and fire suppression systems. The tank utilizes a passive in-arm suspension unit with an automatic track tension system and is capable of functioning under water. Combat systems include the Volkan III modular fire control system and hunter-killer engagement capabilities.

The Turkish Land Forces is the primary operator, with the vehicle entering official service on October 28, 2025. The Turkish government has ordered several hundred units across multiple configurations, including the T1 and T2 variants. Qatar has also ordered the tank for its land forces. Other nations expressing interest in the platform include Azerbaijan, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Pakistan.