11/28/2012 Defence IQ Press
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.
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