25.12.2015 Otokar

Otokar, the biggest privately owned company of Turkish Defence Industry, was awarded 47.5 million Euro contract for COBRA II tactical wheeled armoured vehicle to perform in various missions of Turkish security forces. The delivery of the vehicles will be completed in the first half of 2017.

Turkey’s largest land system manufacturer Otokar received a new order for its COBRA II 4x4 tactical wheeled armoured vehicle. 47.5 million Euro amounted contract for COBRA II includes various systems, maintenance and support services except for the vehicles. The delivery of the vehicles will be completed in the first half of 2017. The vehicles will be in service to meet various requirements of the security forces.

COBRA II

COBRA II 4X4 Tactical Wheeled Armoured Vehicle is a modular platform with superior technical and tactical characteristics which is developed over existing COBRA Vehicle. Besides outstanding mobility, COBRA II provides higher ballistic and mine protection, increased payload capacity and internal volume. With its wide range of weapon integration and mission equipment options COBRA II can serve various types of missions including urban and peacekeeping missions with optional amphibious feature. The vehicle provides a remarkable performance in a wide range of challenging terrains and climatic conditions.

May. 25, 2013 - By BURAK EGE BEKDIL – Defense News

ANKARA — Two Turkish companies are in separate talks with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia to co-produce and sell scores of new-generation battle tanks, officials and industry sources here said.

The deals would signal Turkey’s ability to produce vehicles for export after years of being an arms importer. At the same time, a deal with the Saudis would politically cement ties with Turkey against the Iranian-led Shia bloc of countries, sources said.

They said Turkish armored vehicles maker Otokar could sell hundreds of its third-generation tank, the Altay. Meanwhile, rival manufacturer FNSS Defence Systems is close to inking a deal to co-produce medium tanks with an Indonesian partner.

Otokar designed and is producing prototypes of the Altay in a deal to sell four 250-unit batches to the Turkish military. The Turkish Army has 720 German-made Leopard 1 and 2 tanks, 930 American M-60s and 1,370 M-48s, most of which are Cold War-era tanks and need replacement.

One company source confirmed talks with Saudi Arabia but gave no further details. One senior procurement official familiar with Turkish arms exports said Turkey hoped to cut a future deal with Saudi Arabia for the Altay.

“The Altay is not available for immediate sale but is potentially a powerful export product when you think of a medium-term deal. Saudis are good customers with available cash, good political ties and their need for new tanks. We are hopeful about a future deal [for the Altay],” the official said. He added that other countries were interested in buying the Altay but declined to name them.

Saudi Arabia has 320 elderly French AMX-30 tanks in need of replacement. Saudi Arabia and Turkey, along with Qatar, are spearheading efforts to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The three Muslim countries, with support from the United States and most Western countries, support rebel forces fighting Assad’s Army in a civil war that has taken nearly 100,000 lives in two years.

“Adding a defense industry dimension to their ties would augment the Turkish-Saudi alliance against Iran,” said a Western military attaché here.

But Turkey could face competition. France has proposed replacing Saudi Arabia’s AMX-30s with the AMX-56 Leclerc. The Otokar official said the 65-ton Altay better meets the Saudi requirement than does the 55-ton Leclerc.

“Also, we have almost excellent government-to-government relations with the Saudis,” the official said.

Industry sources said the Altay is similar to Saudi Arabia’s 400 M1 tanks. Both have a 120mm gun, composite armor and high-end electronics.

In 2008, Otokar signed a US $500 million contract with Turkey’s procurement office. Under the deal, Otokar will build four Altay prototypes this year, two years ahead of schedule. The four prototypes will undergo performance tests throughout 2013.

The procurement office selected South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem for technical support. Turkey’s Aselsan is the subcontractor for the fire control system and command, control and communications information system. Also, state-owned MKEK was selected as the subcontractor for the 120mm primary weapon, while Roketsan will provide the armor.

Procurement officials say the serial-production agreement for the Altay would be effective probably in 2017, and together with the expected foreign orders.

Indonesia

In a separate deal, Turkey and Indonesia agreed during the Turkish arms exhibition IDEF’13 this month to jointly develop medium tanks

Under the deal, Ankara-based, privately owned armored vehicles maker FNSS Defence Systems will work with Indonesia’s state-owned arms maker, PT Pindad.

“Indonesia has chosen Turkey and FNSS because of our internationally acknowledged experience and advanced technology in this field,” one FNSS official said.

He said the co-production project will come into shape in four years. “We are now working to officially submit proposals to jointly design, develop and manufacture the medium tank,” he said.

FNSS has developed technology in a tracked propulsion system while Pindad has technology in wheeled propulsion systems. “Indonesia hopes to learn tracked as well as other technological capabilities with this cooperation,” the procurement official said.

FNSS produces wheeled and tracked armored combat and amphibious assault vehicles, personnel carriers and weapons systems.

The company announced May 21 that it launched its new tracked armored anti-tank reconnaissance vehicle, the Kaplan (Tiger in Turkish).

May. 7, 2013 - By BURAK EGE BEKDIL – Defense news

ANKARA — Turkey’s leading armored vehicles manufacturer, Otokar, has revealed what it views as the most strategic indigenous vehicle ever developed by a local company, a tracked armored tactical vehicle, the Tulpar.

Analysts said that once the Tulpar has hit serial production, it would end Turkey’s dependence on imported tracked vehicles. But they also say the Tulpar may have to find export markets rather than win huge domestic orders.

“The Tulpar is a vehicle the Turkish military needed in large quantities. But the current peace process with Kurdish insurgents will probably mean less local demand than potentially foreign demand for a vehicle like this,” said one London-based analyst.

After three decades of civil strife with its autonomy-seeking Kurdish minority and nearly 40,000 deaths, the Turkish government earlier this year launched ambitious peace talks with the militant Kurds. The Kurdish separatist PKK promised to withdraw from Turkish territory as of May 8 in return for broader political rights and constitutional recognition. Turkey, the US and the EU recognize the PKK as a terrorist entity.

“The Tulpar is a strategic product for the Turkish military. It is designed to fight all anti-tank assets along with the new-generation tanks Turkey will possess,” Serdar Gorguc, general manager for Otokar, told reporters.

The Tulpar boasts an advanced ballistic and mine resistant body and modular armor technology. It can carry an entire infantry squad.

Otokar unveiled last year the country’s first national main mattle tank, the Altay, with top government officials promising the program would be completed “one or two years” ahead of time.

In 2008, Otokar signed a $500 million contract with the country’s procurement office, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries. Under the deal, Otokar will finish building four prototypes of the Altay this year, two years ahead of the original schedule. The four prototypes will undergo performance tests throughout 2013.

The SSM selected South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem for overall technical support. Turkey’s Aselsan was chosen as the fire control system and command, control and communications system subcontractor. Also, state-owned MKEK was selected as the subcontractor for the 120mm primary weapon, and Roketsan was tasked with the job to provide the armor.

Procurement officials said the serial-production agreement for the Altay would be effective probably in 2017, and together with the expected foreign orders, a first batch of at least 200 tanks is expected to be produced. The Altay probably will be the world’s most modern tank in the 60-ton category by then, Turkish procurement officials say.

Otokar also produces several other armored vehicles, the best known being the Cobra, a four-wheel-drive vehicle, used for reconnaissance and area control purposes by the Turkish security forces and the armies of several other countries.