Turkey gears up for Altay tank rollout in 2025
After several years of delays, the Turkish Altay tank development program is gaining momentum. The first deliveries to the Turkish army, which already boasts the largest number of tanks among European NATO members, are set to begin in the third quarter of 2025. Ultimately, Turkey aims to produce up to 1,000 Altay tanks.
The path chosen by Turkish authorities differs from that of many other NATO countries. For instance, Poland and Romania have opted for large purchases of Abrams and South Korean K2 Black Panther tanks, while the Netherlands and the Czech Republic have chosen to go with Leopard 2A8s.
Turkey bets on domestic tanks
Currently, the Turkish army operates about 2,500 tanks, making it the largest armored force in Europe. A problem identified by Ankara a few years ago (as the Altay program was initiated in 2007) is the diverse "armored mosaic," composed of American M48s, M60 Pattons, and the Israeli-modified M60 Sabras, as well as German Leopard 1s and Leopard 2A4s in various variants. All of these models are relatively old in design, and their service time in the Turkish military is nearing an end.
Earlier this year, Turkish media reported that within a few, at most several months, the local army would begin operating the first Altay tanks. According to the latest information, this will happen in August.
Altay T1 will lead the way
Initially, the Altay T1 will be produced. To address some issues, the Turkish industry decided to leverage the experiences of the South Korean Hyundai Rotem corporation. Consequently, the Altay T1 will feature several solutions found in the K2 Black Panther tanks, including the DV27K engine and EST15K transmission. Its main armament will be a Turkish-produced variant of the South Korean CN08 120 mm gun.
According to previously published schedules, just under 100 Altay T1 units will be produced by 2028. Following this, production of the Altay T2 (approximately 200 units) will commence, with the Altay T3 following as the most numerous version.
In total, Turkey plans to produce up to 1,000 Altay tanks. They also anticipate that for the Altay T2 and Altay T3, all components will be sourced from Turkish manufacturers. Each subsequent version of the tank is expected to bring improvements to the most critical components.
