The Ministry of Defense of Ankara signed, last November 9, a contract with the BMC (part of a joint venture with the German Rheinmetall) for the supply to the Turkish army of a first batch of 40 tanks ALTAY (on a total of 250 means including logistic support), of which the first sample to be delivered within 18 months.
Given the totally inadequate performance offered by the LEOPARD 2A4 tanks, in operations in Syria, Ankara has taken the decision to introduce a new MBT characterized by a decidedly superior protection against the Kurdish peshmerga.
The ALTAY has a combat weight of 55 tonnes and is equipped with a local version of the Rheinmetall from 120 / 55 mm (the same as the LEOPARD 2A6 / 7); in the vehicles of the first two lots will be mounted a turbodiesel MTU 883 Ka 501-CR turbodiesel from 1.500 Hp, while in the last two will be installed a propeller able to develop a power of 1.800 Hp.
It therefore seems strange that, although in other countries it is investing in new high-performance MBTs, Italian executives continue to squander the already scarce resources - the official figures of the Ministry of Defense speak of an allocation of 421,7 million euro for the update of Half Life of the ARIES, distributed between the 2018 and the 2029, of which 35 already allocated for the three-year 2018-2020 for the realization of only 3 prototypes - on tanks now outclassed for years.
Also read: "Aries scandal"
Also read: "What future for the armored component? Leopard, Merkava, Aries 2 or ...?"
Also read: "C-1 ARIETE, the time has come to decide the future"
(photo: Otokar Otomotiv ve Savunma Sanayi A.Ş)
