The project was initiated with an agreement signed between
Otokar and the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries of the
Republic of Turkey on 30 March 2007, when the Defense Industries Executive Committee awarded a contract worth approximately $500 million to Otokar for the design, development and production of four prototypes of a national
main battle tank. On July 29, 2008, Turkey and Hyundai Rotem signed a ₩500 billion (approximately US$540 million) design assistance and technology transfer contract for tank development. This contract consists of design assistance and technology transfer related to the development of systems, armor packages, and 120 mm guns necessary for the development of Altay tanks, and includes design assistance and technology transfer of Hyundai Rotem,
Hyundai WIA, and
Agency for Defense Development throughout the development process. In 2012, Otokar General Manager Serdar Görgüç has announced that the company is considering the development of an electric engine for the Altay. However, the electric engine probably no longer in consideration. The military electronics company
Aselsan manufactures and integrates the Volkan III modular fire control system, command, control and information systems, while state-owned MKEK (Mechanical and Chemical Industries Corporation) produce
MKE 120 mm tank gun. Another state company
Roketsan produce an indigenous armor. The first prototype Altay was ready for use by the end of 2016. Once the prototypes are produced and tested, the Undersecreteriat for Defense Industries of the Republic of Turkey will prepare and execute a separate order for the first lot of 250 tanks. 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. Otokar completed all infrastructure planning and programming for mass production. Koç Holding Vice Chair and Otokar Chair Ali Koç said mass production was expected to start 18–22 months after their offer was accepted. However, on 9 November 2018, Turkish
Presidency of Defense Industries signed agreement with
BMC for mass production of the tank. because of the German federal arms embargo on Turkey due to their
involvement in the Syrian Civil War. Another request from
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was also declined. However, BMC Power, a subsidiary of BMC, replaced MTU as engine subcontractor for 1,500 hp engine. BMC Power is the designer and manufacturer of the serial production
BATU V12 1,500 hp engine. On 10 March 2021, BMC announced that it plans to import a Korean power pack that combines
Doosan Infracore (now
HD Hyundai Infracore)
DV27K engine and
SNT Dynamics EST15K transmission and complete the performance test of the Altay tank according to Turkey's own standards as soon as possible. On 11 August 2021, the
South Korean
Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced that it was looking for a Korean company to develop an improved SNT Dynamics EST15K transmission for use in Altay and
K2 Black Panther. On 7 October 2021, the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced that it is looking for a Korean company to develop an indigenous
Transmission control unit to replace the German Transmission control unit used in the SNT Dynamics EST15K transmission to export transmissions to Turkey. On 22 October 2021, Kang Eun-ho, head of South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration, said he had approved the export of Hyundai Doosan Infracore DV27K engines and SNT Dynamics EST15K transmissions to Turkey during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visiting South Korea. At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum held on March 11, 2022, Ismail Demir, president of Turkish Defense Industries (SSB), revealed that he was testing Hyundai Doosan Infracore DV27K engine and SNT Dynamics EST15K transmission imported from South Korea and he said in May that he will be able to see a prototype of Altay that combines Korean engines and transmissions. In August 2022, the durability test of the powerpack combined with the DV27K engine and EST15K transmission imported from South Korea is underway, and if the durability test succeeds, the first 250 Altay will be produced by integrating the Korean powerpack. In his speech at the handover ceremony of the new generation of assault howitzers (MSB Arifiye Campus BMC Plant / Sakarya), President Erdogan said that two new Altay tanks will be manufactured in 2023. On 30 January 2023, BMC signed a supply agreement with SNT Dynamics to purchase the EST15K transmission. The agreement includes a supply contract (approximately €68.926 million) to procure 90 transmissions by December 2027 and an option contract (approximately €130,900 million) to procure an additional 150 transmissions by December 2030. In March 2023, BMC announced it planned to deliver two Altay tanks to the Turkish Armed Forces in April 2023 for field tests expected to last 1.5 to two years, with mass production planned for 2025. Given the number of changes to the project, the company is now referring to the tank as the "Yeni Altay" (New Altay). Mass production officially began on 5 September 2025 with a dedicated factory, which is partially funded by
Qatar, officially opened on 28 October 2025. In February 2025, Haluk Görgün announced that deliveries of ALTAY tanks in the T1 configuration will begin as of 2025. 3 ALTAY T1 tanks will be delivered in 2025 (5 total delivered). These deliveries are expected to be made in August. 85 tanks in T1 configuration will be delivered, followed by 11 ALTAY tanks in 2026, 41 tanks in 2027 and then 30 tanks. The South Korean power group will be used in the first 40 ALTAY tanks, then the domestic power group will be used and the 1500 horsepower BATU will be used.
Design The tank benefits both from indigenously developed systems and from technologies of the K2 Black Panther, accorded by an agreement signed with South Korea. For mass production of the suspension system, KUMA, a partner of Hyundai Rotem, is in charge.
ASELSAN made electronic systems produced within the scope of Altay Mass Production Project; Fire Control System, Electric Gun and Turret Engagement System, Command Control Communication and Information System, Driver Vision System, Laser Warning System, Remote Controlled Weapon System, Battlefield Recognition and Identification System, Close Range Surveillance System, AKKOR Active Protection System.
HAVELSAN provides training and simulation for maintenance and training. While moving at high speeds, to evade ATGM attacks, sudden braking and manoeuvering at severe angles are capabilities that were taken into consideration from early developmental stages. An isolated ammunition compartment (turret bustle) is designed to protect tank crew, alongside fire and explosion suppression systems that are to activate when hit or when the tank is involved in an accident. The tank is to be equipped with sensors for the detection of contaminated air from chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The tank also has
hunter-killer engagement capability. In September 2010, with approval of the tank subsystems and software by Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, Conceptual Design Phase of the Altay project has been completed. Thus, the project advanced to Detailed Design Phase scheduled to last 30.5 months. The scope of the Detailed Design Phase is to design and integrate interfaces for the selected tank subsystems. On 10 May 2011, Aselsan was contracted by the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries to design and develop two Battlefield Target Identification Device (BTID) prototypes. On 11 May 2011, the mock-up of the Altay was introduced to the public in IDEF2011. On 18 October 2012, the first Altay was put on trials although lacking side skirts and using a mock-up turret to simulate a real turret. On 16 November 2012, two pre-prototype types, named Altay MTR (Mobility Test Rig) and Altay FTR (
Firepower Test Rig), successfully passed initial acceptance tests, paving the way for serial production 2 years earlier than expected, with two more prototypes to be built by 2013 or 2014. On 7 November 2016, MTR, FTR, PV1 and PV2 (Pilot Vehicle) prototypes made by Otokar were delivered to the
Turkish Land Forces, and their acceptance tests were expected to finish in the last quarter of 2016 or early 2017. Another prototype variant called Altay AHT (Asimetrik Harp Tankı - "urban operations tank") was showcased by Otokar at the IDEF'17 defense and aerospace show in Istanbul on May 9–12. The tank is equipped with a directional dozer blade. In May 2019, the new developer BMC unveiled Altay's revised baseline serial production model, named T1, at the IDEF Defense Exhibition. On 23 April 2023, 2 T1 variant Altays were delivered to TAF for further evaluation and testing.
Contractors and subcontractors Subsequently, in accordance with the later Defense Industries Executive Committee ruling, approximately 200 subcontractors were selected. •
Armor package subcontractor:
Roketsan •
Hydropneumatic suspension system subcontractor: Hyundai Rotem •
Powerpack subcontractor (initial, canceled):
MTU Engine &
Renk Transmission • Powerpack subcontractor (first batch):
HD Hyundai Infracore (engine) and
SNT Dynamics (transmission) • Powerpack subcontractor (second batch):
BMC Power • Sub-systems subcontractor:
Aselsan and
HAVELSAN ==Variants==