Türkiye has officially begun mass production of the “Altay” main battle tank, developed on the basis of South Korea’s K2 technology, marking the start of a new era of domestically produced main battle tanks. The mass production line for the Altay, adapted to local conditions, was formally inaugurated on 5 September at the BMC Automotive plant within the aerospace and defence industrial complex near Ankara. Chairman of the Board of BMC, Fuat Tosyalı, described the development as “the fulfilment of a century-old aspiration”, noting that “President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally supported every stage of the process.”
On 6 September, the US military journal Military Watch Magazine reported that the Altay represents “the beginning of mass production of Türkiye’s first fully domestic main battle tank, based on South Korea’s K2,” and assessed that it “has the potential to alter the military balance in the Middle East.” The publication emphasised that, as the K2 is widely regarded as the most advanced tank within the NATO system, the Altay now emerges as a strong contender to become the region’s most powerful tank.
Local Media: "Annual Delivery Plan Announced"
Türkiye’s Daily Sabah reported that mass production of the Altay had “begun in earnest at a state-of-the-art facility within the Ankara Aerospace and Aviation Specialised Industrial Zone (HAB),” and disclosed a detailed annual delivery schedule: three tanks in 2025, eleven in 2026, forty-one in 2027, and thirty in 2028.
Türkiye Today underlined that the first delivery would take place soon, adding that the same facility would simultaneously produce the domestically developed BATU engine and the 8×8 Altug wheeled armoured vehicle. The state-run Anadolu Agency highlighted the plant’s cutting-edge robotic automation systems, stressing that “the Altay, equipped with the BATU engine, will mark a milestone in defence modernisation.”
Defence Express: ‘The Reward of 20 Years’ Work’
On 7 September, Ukrainian defence media outlet Defence Express reported that “footage from inside the Altay mass production plant has been released for the first time,” adding that “a project ongoing for over 20 years has finally borne fruit." The outlet projected that the Turkish Armed Forces would receive the first three tanks this year, followed by eleven in 2026, forty-one in 2027, and around thirty annually thereafter. It further noted that BMC’s BATU engine is planned not only for tanks but also for naval platforms.