ANKARA

Türkiye’s new main battle tank named “Altay” has begun mass production at the Ankara plant of Turkish automaker BMC.

Equipped with modern technologies, Altay is powered by the BATU engine, developed by BMC Power, a subsidiary of BMC.

BMC’s Ankara production plant uses industrial robots and next-generation production technologies to make the tank, from hull production to the final assembly line.

BMC Chairman Fuat Tosyali told Anadolu that the firm is experiencing the joy of realizing Türkiye’s century-old dream.

Tosyali said domestic military engines have been developed at BMC Power since last year, with power outputs ranging from 400 to 1,500 horsepower (hp).

“Our factory has now begun mass production, after laying its foundations only last year -- we expect it to meet the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces and allied countries in the defense industry,” he said.

He emphasized that the BATU power group, a domestic in-house engine, will need to complete certain processes before it can be used in BMC’s tanks.

“The power group needs to ‘run’ 10,000 kilometers (6,213.7 miles), and it also has to pass certain performance tests,” he said. “So far, no setbacks have been observed in our power group’s program, and all components, including air and defense systems, are being tested together with the tank,” he said.

“In this factory, we will produce both the Altay and our next-generation eight-by-eight armored combat vehicle, Altug,” he added.

Türkiye’s Defense Industry Agency (SSB) President Haluk Gorgun said the agency provided tremendous support for this success, saying Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself was also involved in the process, following up on investment developments.

“We meet almost every day for this project -- what matters most for us is that this factory has now begun mass production,” he said.

“The tanks we provided last year for testing showed all their capabilities and passed tests with success, and now that our factory is also complete, we will produce our tanks here and deliver them to our forces,” he added.