ALTAY Tank Deliveries & Inventory: When Was It Delivered, How Many Will Be Built? (2026)

The Altay is an indigenous MBT combining the firepower, protection and mobility a modern tank requires. Its 120 mm 55-caliber gun, composite armor and ASELSAN AKKOR active protection system are designed against contemporary threats.

It was developed to renew the Turkish Land Forces’ aging tank fleet and reduce dependence in this critical area. With the indigenous engine, the Altay will become a fully national platform.

The Altay’s sole operator for now is the Turkish Land Forces Command, on a phased delivery plan.

Production is planned in two configurations: T1 with an interim imported powerpack and T2 with the indigenous BATU engine. The table below summarises the annual delivery plan.

The first two serial-production Altay tanks were delivered to the Land Forces on 28 October 2025 at a ceremony at the new Ankara tank plant — the start of the Altay’s effective service entry after years of development.

Per the plan, 85 T1 tanks will be delivered over four years (3 in 2025, 11 in 2026, 41 in 2027, 30 in 2028). BMC aims to raise output gradually to dozens of tanks per year.

The Altay’s longest-running technical issue was its powerpack. The first T1 batch is built with a Korean-sourced ~1,500 hp engine and transmission.

The Altay competes with Germany’s Leopard 2A8, the US M1A2 Abrams, South Korea’s K2 Black Panther and Israel’s Merkava. With a 120 mm 55-caliber gun and active protection, it offers firepower and protection on par with modern peers.

Its real difference is that critical subsystems such as AKKOR active protection and ASELSAN fire control are indigenous, and the final version will use a domestic engine — an advantage for offering flexible export packages.

The Altay was designed under Otokar with technical support from South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem; the serial-production contract went to BMC, which built two major Ankara facilities — one for tanks and one for engines (BMC Power).

The AKKOR active protection system, fire control and electro-optic sights come from ASELSAN. This broad domestic supply chain gives the Altay its ‘national tank’ identity.

The Altay modernizes the Turkish Land Forces’ armored striking power with an indigenous platform. Renewing a fleet long reliant on imported tanks with a national tank is a strategic turning point.

The new tank plant and BMC Power engine facility create an industrial base that will feed not only the Altay but all future heavy-armor projects. With the indigenous engine, the Altay will become a fully independent platform with export potential.

The first two serial-production Altay tanks were delivered to the Turkish Land Forces on 28 October 2025 at the opening of a new tank plant in Ankara.

A total of 250 tanks are planned for the Land Forces: 85 in T1 configuration and 165 in T2.

The first T1 batch uses a Korean-sourced powerpack. With the move to the ~1,500 hp indigenous BATU engine, T2 production from 2028 will use a fully domestic powerpack.

T1 is the first 85 tanks built with an interim imported powerpack. T2 covers 165 tanks with the indigenous BATU engine and updated systems.

The tank was designed under Otokar; the serial-production contract went to BMC, which built both tank and engine (BMC Power) plants in Ankara.

Per the plan, 85 T1 tanks are delivered in 2025–2028, followed by 165 T2 tanks from 2028 with the indigenous engine, with annual output rising gradually.