Turkish Tank Sees Pakistani, Saudi Interest.

[Haroon Baloch]

ANKARA — A number of countries Turkey views as “allies” are interested in buying what will become Turkey’s first indigenous new generation main battle tank, the Altay, the top procurement official has said.

Ismail Demir, head of the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) said during a presentation in parliament that including Pakistan and the Gulf countries with which Turkey has good political relations were showing a large interest in the Altay.

“Lately, we have seen that Saudi Arabia’s interest was big,” he said.

He said that Turkey invited officials from these countries to the ongoing firing tests for the Altay. “The tests, meanwhile, are extremely satisfying,” Demir said.

The SSM officials said at the briefing that five prototypes of the tank have been produced and succeeded in tests in different spots across Turkey.

The Altay will soon go through winter tests in Sarikamis district in eastern Turkey. That district is well-known for its challenging winter conditions.

SSM is expected this year to announce a bidding for the Altay’s serial production.

Potential bidders are three local armored vehicle makers: Otokar, the Altay’s designer and the producer of its prototypes, BMC and FNSS.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

So now we showing interest in Altay... after Chinese T-99

 

[mustafa erkan]

You have to develop more advenced version of Al-khalid with getting technical asistant from Turkey .If you buy from China or from Turkey that means your tank program has no future.Type 99 and Altay state of art tanks.If Pakistan gets them your tank program will become waste of money and your economic position not give permission to this.

 

[Paksanity]

You have to develop more advenced version of Al-khalid with getting technical asistant from Turkey .If you buy from China or from Turkey that means your tank program has no future.Type 99 and Altay state of art tanks.If Pakistan gets them your tank program will become waste of money and your economic position not give permission to this.

Not necessarily. Indigenous program and imported ones can go hand in hand. Given the price and requirements of Pak Army, it could be a mix of two or three types. Something like F-16, JF-17 model of PAF. Let's say 500 Altay could make tip of the spear while Al-khalid, T-80 and T-59s can give numbers with reasonably good upgrades. Terrain will also feature in here. One type may be more suitable for a certain type of terrain. Terrain varies a lot in Pakistan, from marshes, vegetation, deserts to maze of water channels, hills, ravines and deep rivers.

 

[mustafa erkan]

Let's say 500 Altay

500 is a huge number.Turkey will get 1000 Altay in four batches exactly costs 5 to 6 billion dollars for only production.Maintenance isnt included for this price.

Terrain will also feature in here. One type may be more suitable for a certain type of terrain.

yes ,i am agree.

 

[Signalian]

KSA is obsessed with every modern MBT coming up in the world

 

[Blue Marlin]

im starting to hate the word "interest"

 

[Zarvan]

You have to develop more advenced version of Al-khalid with getting technical asistant from Turkey .If you buy from China or from Turkey that means your tank program has no future.Type 99 and Altay state of art tanks.If Pakistan gets them your tank program will become waste of money and your economic position not give permission to this.

We are doing both we are developing advance version of AL KHALID and also going for another powerful Tank. We like to have various Tanks

 

[Paksanity]

500 is a huge number.Turkey will get 1000 Altay in four batches exactly costs 5 to 6 billion dollars for only production.Maintenance isnt included for this price.

yes ,i am agree.

Pakistan has an inventory of over 2200 tanks. More than 1000 are older T-59s and its upgraded variants which are required to be replaced in the next decade. 500 Altay may not be huge number for Pakistan. It could even be higher with follow up orders. Other than price, one thing that doesn't favour Altay is weight. It is heavier than anything Pakistan operates right now. I'm not sure but weight may be a problem in marshes of south Pakistan and watered mud and clay of central-north central Pakistan.

 

[Akasa]

So far, there is no indication that Pakistan is in any way interested in Type 99s.

 

[C130]

I don't know about the Pakistanis, but KSA will probably buy M1A2 Sep v3

unless Altay is significantly better and cheaper


only thing Abrams is missing is APS

 

[waz]

I've been telling people from day one that Pakistan will buy this tank or a version of it from day one. It gives the army unparalleled armoured strength, a tank that is on par with the best Western tanks and from one of its dear allies i.e. the threat of sanctions etc isn't there.
I hope to see close to 500. The rest can be Al-Khalid versions, making up a force of more than 2,700.

 

[Blue Marlin]

I've been telling people from day one that Pakistan will buy this tank or a version of it from day one. It gives the army unparalleled armoured strength, a tank that is on par with the best Western tanks and from one of its dear allies i.e. the threat of sanctions etc isn't there.
I hope to see close to 500. The rest can be Al-Khalid versions, making up a force of more than 2,700.

thats $3 billion. and thats just $6 million each! what if you want the tech as well? and the cost of setting the factory up as well. $3 billion is just under half of pakistans defence budget. and they just brought 5 billions worth of subs only last year.
but i think its worth saying the coas saw a bit more than the ak1

 

[BordoEnes]

News like these are usually to good to be true. I mean everytime the Altay tank is mentions, there is this little voice at the back of my head saying "....foreign engine....".

 

[Blue Marlin]

I don't know about the Pakistanis, but KSA will probably buy M1A2 Sep v3

unless Altay is significantly better and cheaper


only thing Abrams is missing is APS

thats what they will go for, they already have the abrahams tank, they will be upgraded or they will buy them off the shelf, or a mixture of the two which is the most likely option.