More than 250 self-propelled howitzers T-155 Firtina 155mm / 52 cal were manufactured for the Turkish army by MKEK, which also offers this system to foreign customers.
Turkey's ground combat vehicle industry is making significant efforts to address two goals: eliminating the country's dependence on foreign suppliers and increasing export supplies. Let's consider this topic in more detail
Turkey intends to spend approximately $ 70 billion on military equipment purchases by 2023, as this year the country will celebrate the centenary of the founding of the modern republic.
“Until 2023, we plan to eliminate external dependence on the supply of equipment and weapons through existing projects and investments,” President Recep Erdogan said on March 16. "We are not going to use any off-the-shelf systems, only with our participation from design to production."
In parallel with the elimination of this dependence, Turkey seeks to increase its foreign trade balance. In 2014, the country exported $ 1.6 billion worth of defense and aviation property, up from $ 1.4 billion in the previous year. According to the Defense Industry Administration (SSM), the country intends to increase that figure to 25 billion by 2023.
The World Factbook, prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency, notes: "The Turkish military is focused on the threats posed by the Syrian civil war, Russia's actions in Ukraine and the subversion of the PKK PKK."
In accordance with the Force 2014 program being implemented, over the past 25 years, the number of the Turkish army has decreased by about 20-30%. The purpose of this reduction is to create a smaller, but well-trained force, better mobility and firepower, and better equipped to participate in joint operations.
In early 2015, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the strength of the Turkish army at approximately 402,000, including 325,000 conscripted for 15 months, plus an additional 259,000 reservists. The Turkish army remains the second largest army in NATO, surpassed only by the US army.
The first steps
The Turkish Infantry Fighting Vehicle Project, launched in 1987, can serve as an example for subsequent development and production programs. Then SSM stipulated that 50-70% of the platform must be produced domestically.
The Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV) project from United Defense (now part of BAE Systems), which is a development of the M113 armored personnel carrier, was selected and in June 1988, FNSS Savunma Sistemleri, a joint venture of Turkish Nurol Holding (51 %) and United Defense (49%), received a contract for the manufacture of 1,698 tracked vehicles currently promoted by FNSS under the trade designation Armored Combat Vehicle 15 (ACV 15) in four variants: BMP with 25-mm armament; advanced armored personnel carrier Advanced Armored Personnel Carrier (AAPC); mortar armored mortar vehicle; and the TOW Armored TOW Vehicle anti-tank missile system. Later, another 551 AAPC armored personnel carriers were ordered with deliveries in 2001-2004.
FNSS is constantly expanding the ACV 15 machine family in the 13-15 tonne weight category to meet the needs of potential overseas customers. The AAPC chassis forms the basis for all other members of the family, which includes an infantry fighting vehicle, available with a wide variety of modules and turrets with armament up to 90 mm, a command post, ambulance, recovery, anti-tank and 120-mm mortar transporter.
In 1997, the United Arab Emirates became the first foreign customer to order 136 vehicles in three new specialized versions: engineering, repair and evacuation and forward artillery observers. Later in 2000, Malaysia ordered 211 vehicles in ten variants, including an infantry fighting vehicle with a 25 mm cannon. About one quarter of these machines were assembled in Malaysia by the local company DefTech. In 2010, FNSS delivered six BMPs and one Philippine Army recovery vehicle.
Increased capabilities
Based on the ACV 15, FNSS developed the ACV 19 family of machines in the 15-19 ton category, originally designated ACV – Stretched. The main differences between the two families are as follows: a longer body with six road wheels, final drives for heavy duty, and a "more aggressive" suspension.
According to the manufacturer, the ACV 19 also has a larger internal armor volume compared to the ACV 15 and the mobility “equal to or better than that of the MBT”. In order to provide protection against direct kinetic threats, the ACV 19 chassis has spaced multi-layer armor made from a combination of steel and aluminum.
This family includes the Tracked Logistic Carrier (TLC) tracked cargo carrier, which retains the front end layout with the driver seated on the left and the power unit on the right, directly behind which the commander and another crew member are located. A cargo platform with slinging nodes and drop sides is located behind the crew compartment. The TLC has a maximum lifting capacity of six tons.
The Saudi Arabian Army became the first purchaser of the ACV 19, ordering ten vehicles in a tactical command post configuration. Malaysia bought eight vehicles on which a 120mm TDA 120 2RM recoilless mortar system was installed.
Under the program launched in 2004 for Saudi Arabia, FNSS is upgrading 2,000 US-supplied M113 armored personnel carriers to the M113A4 standard. BAE Systems supplies upgrade kits to the Al Kharj plant in Saudi Arabia, where more than 1000 machines have already been upgraded.
Anatolian leopard
FNSS intends to expand its successful activities in the tracked armored vehicle sector to the wheeled vehicle market by developing Pars (Turkish leopard) in 6x6 and 8x8 configurations. Pars provides a high level of ballistic and mine protection, the vehicle can be equipped with various weapons modules, the 8x8 version has sufficient internal volume to accommodate 13 people on energy-absorbing seats.
This platform is the basis for the AV8 Gempita 8x8 machine, which DefTech, in cooperation with FNSS, manufactures for the Malaysian army under the 2011 agreement.
The Army ordered 257 vehicles in 12 configurations: 68 equipped with a two-man turret from Denel Land Systems, armed with a 30 mm DI-30 cannon with dual feed and a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun; 57 anti-tank vehicle complexes with a Denel turret armed with a 30-mm cannon and an unspecified ATGM complex; 46 vehicles with a single FNSS Sharpshooter turret (installed on many ACV 15s), armed with a 25mm Orbital ATK M242 dual-feed cannon and a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun; and 86 specialized options, including command, observation and engineering options. The army received the first 12 IFV-25 vehicles in December 2014.
In February 2015, at the IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi, FNSS presented a new version of the Pars 6x6, optimized for reconnaissance missions using weapons of mass destruction.
This new variant is the first of its kind designed and built in-house. It is being finalized to meet the need for 60 vehicles under the SPV (Special Purpose Vehicles) program.
Special Purposes
In accordance with the SPV program, the total requirement is 472 vehicles in two configurations 8x8 and 6x6, which will perform various tasks, including the command post option, ambulance, WMD reconnaissance and surveillance.
This is Turkey's first program for a family of wheeled vehicles and in order to meet the needs of the army, FNSS will invest in the development of a new model based on Pars. The company will compete with local rival Otokar.
The requirement for a WMD reconnaissance vehicle and specialized vehicles appeared in 2010, but was re-submitted in September 2014. A decision on this issue is not expected earlier than 2016, therefore, the most optimistic terms of entry into service are 2017-2018.
It is expected that due to the large volume of development work in this program, first of all, a number of pre-production contracts for several machines will be concluded, after which an agreement on serial production will follow.
FNSS has supplied over 1000 kits to upgrade Saudi M113 vehicles to M113A4 standard
Weapon transporter
In pursuit of its goal of expanding the family of armored combat vehicles (AFVs), FNSS once again showed its Kaplan project (tiger) at IDEF 2015. The original prototype was presented at IDEF 2013 under the designation LAWC-T (Light Armored Weapon Carrier-Tracked). It was intended for reconnaissance missions, fire support and anti-armored targets (ATGM complex).
An FNSS spokesman said that this previous model was named Kaplan because it is part of the tracked vehicle portfolio, but it is different from the new armored combat vehicles.
LAWC-T was previously a concept and has completely changed since then. At the moment, the new projects are part of the competition for the Turkish Weapon Carrying Vehicle (WCV) weapon transporter - the army has a need for 260 ATGM transporters, both wheeled and tracked.
At IDEX 2015, a representative of FNSS said that the company was working on new tracked and wheeled 4x4 vehicles with the aim of installing Mizrak-O missiles on them, jointly developed with Roketsan and the Russian Kornet-E. This weapon has already been chosen by the Turkish army, which needs 184 tracked and 76 wheeled vehicles. The program is scheduled to be approved by the end of 2015.
The company is expected to compete with local Otokar, which also responded to a request for proposals from the Defense Industry Authority in December 2014 and will have to build its own tracked and wheeled 4x4 vehicles.
Cobra bite
The private company Otokar Otomotiv ve Savunma Sanayi began its activities with the production of civil buses in 1963, and in the mid-1980s it moved into the defense industry with the licensed production of Land Rover Defender light vehicles for the Turkish armed forces. The company currently offers a wide range of AFVs. The beginning was laid in the mid-90s, when the Cobra 4x4 armored car was developed. The all-welded steel hull was installed on the AM General Expanded Capacity Vehicle chassis, developed for the American HMMWV armored car. Serial production of Cobra for the Turkish army began in 1997, Otokar has since produced more than 3,000 vehicles for customers in no less than 15 countries.
At IDEF 2013, Otokar showcased the next generation Cobra II 4x4, which offers better protection, greater payload and greater interior volume than the original model while maintaining its off-road performance. The Cobra II, like the first generation machine, is available in several configurations. With a total mass of 12 tons, it is almost twice as heavy as the original Cobra weighing 6, 3 tons and can carry nine people in an armored vehicle configuration. The vehicle can be fitted with a variety of turrets, light turrets and remotely controlled weapon stations, including Otokar's Basok, Keskin and Ucok. Swimming kits are available for both machine generations.
In the field of light armored combat vehicles, Otokar has manufactured more than 2,500 Armored Patrol Vehicle armored patrol vehicles based on the Defender 4x4 chassis for the domestic and foreign markets. Also, the Akrep 4x4 (scorpion) armored car was developed in the reconnaissance and armored personnel carrier version, as well as the Ural 4x4 tactical armored car shown in 2013 for the police and other security forces, which received a less aggressive appearance.
Strong ARMA
In 2007, Otokar began its own project to develop a family of larger wheeled armored vehicles intended for the local and foreign markets. In June 2010, she showed the Arma 6x6 prototype with a total mass of 18.5 tons, and the following year, the 8x8 prototype weighing 24 tons. Both options are offered in a variety of configurations, including BMP, armored personnel carrier, command post and weapon platform.
Arma provides protection against ballistic and mine threats with a load-bearing V-shaped steel hull, while the fighters sit in energy-absorbing seats. Most of the planned configurations of this family can be carried by the C-130 transport aircraft. In 2010, Otokar received a $ 10.6 million contract for an Arma 6x6 from an unnamed overseas customer, followed by an order worth $ 63.2 million in June 2011 for a 6x6 as well.
The company has developed a 14.5 ton Kaya II 4x4 based on a Mercedes-Benz Unimog 5000 chassis to meet the need for an armored personnel carrier with MRAP protection. The vehicle is available in two different versions, including an armored personnel carrier, featuring a single-volume load-bearing body, in which, in addition to the driver and commander, up to eight paratroopers can be accommodated.
National tank
As for the field of heavy armored combat vehicles, here the Otokar company is the main contractor in the national tank project. At the moment, this is the only program for the development of the next generation main battle tank (MBT), which is being carried out in NATO countries. Otokar was selected by the Defense Industry Authority for this prestigious project in March 2007.
Otokar is responsible for the design, development, integration, prototyping, testing and qualification of the Altay tank. The agency has selected South Korean company Hyundai Rotem to provide technical support and technology transfer assistance for the K2 tank, which the company is currently making for the Korean Army.
Aselsan develops a fire control system and an on-board information system for the Altay MBT, the state-owned Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK) manufactures the 120-mm L55 smoothbore gun, and Roketsan develops and manufactures a modular booking kit.
The first two prototypes, for firing tests and for sea trials, left the Otokar plant in November 2012. The Altay Prototype Vehicle 1 (PV1) prototype was built in late 2013 and the second PV2 prototype in mid-2014, both of which will be used for qualification and acceptance tests, which are due for completion in early 2016.
The command of the Turkish army has announced the need for more than 1000 Altay MBTs, which will be manufactured in several batches. The Defense Industry Directorate hopes to sign a contract with Otokar for an initial batch of 250 tanks by the end of 2015, with first deliveries at the end of 2017.
In December 2014, Otokar, in response to reports in the local press, announced that it had received an order from Oman for 77 MBTs in August 2013. Turkey will not make a decision, at least until the end of 2016.
Saudi Arabia may revive its previous interest in the Altay tank if the German government does not approve of the sale of 270 Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Leopard 2A7 + tanks. Azerbaijan is also being considered as a potential buyer.
The prototype of the Aselsan self-propelled anti-aircraft gun Korkut is a turret with twin 35-mm cannons on the FNSS ACV 30 chassis.
Winged horse
Otokar is developing the Tulpar (winged horse or Pegasus) in order to meet the anticipated needs of not only the Turkish army for a new tracked infantry fighting vehicle that will complement the Altay tank, but also the foreign market. At IDEF 2013, the company showed a prototype with an installed uninhabited turret from the Otokar Mizrak-30 armed with a 30mm Orbital ATK MK44 cannon with dual feed and a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun. At the beginning of 2015, during the entire test period, the prototype covered more than 3000 km on various types of roads and off-road.
The crew of this BMP is three people, it also accommodates up to nine paratroopers, sitting on energy-absorbing seats facing each other. Tulpar has a power-operated ramp in the stern and two hatches on the troop compartment roof; modular armor provides all-aspect protection against 14.5 mm bullets, and the vehicle is protected from 25 mm armor-piercing bullets along the frontal arc. The platform can be transported by the A400M transport aircraft, which is currently in service with Turkey.
Otokar offers a family of vehicles based on the Tulpar chassis, which includes several options: armored personnel carriers; intelligence; fire support with a 105 mm cannon; anti-aircraft gun, armed with a cannon or missiles; sanitary; engineering; commander; 120mm mortar; and a multiple launch rocket system.
Turkish storm
By selecting the Korean company Hyundai Rotem as the technology partner for the Altay tank, the agency hopes to replicate the success of another key project with its South Korean partner. In 2001, Turkey signed a contract with Samsung Techwin (now Hanwha) for the development and production of a Turkish modification of the 155mm / 52 cal K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer, which Samsung Techwin developed in 1989-1998 to meet the needs of the South Korean army.
The T-155 Firtina (thunder) is manufactured in an army technical center, where locally made components are supplied, including a 155 mm / 52 caliber gun made by MKEK and a computerized control system developed by Aselsan, plus, if necessary, systems from foreign suppliers. Local production began in 2002 and continued at a rate of 24 systems per year to meet the needs of the Turkish army for 300 Firtina howitzers; by the end of 2014, it is estimated that more than 250 howitzers had been manufactured.
MKEK promotes Firtina to countries agreed with Samsung Techwin. Azerbaijan signed a contract with the Turkish government in 2011 for 36 vehicles, but deliveries have been postponed as the German government is implementing an arms embargo imposed by the OSCE on Armenia and Azerbaijan, which prohibits the supply of the MTU-881 Ka-500 diesel engine manufactured by the German company MTU. MKEK later identified another manufacturer of engines to be installed on Azerbaijani howitzers.
Such a delay once again confirms the correctness of the strategic choice of the state aimed at developing in its country the capacities for the production of all components for such weapons systems.
In March 2015, FDA signed a $ 205 million contract with local Tumosan to develop an engine and transmission for the Altay tank over a period of 54 months. They will replace the MTU MT 883 Ka-501 diesel engines installed on two prototypes; it is expected that the Turkish power unit will be installed on the tanks of the first production batch.
The command of the Turkish Armed Forces has developed a transport-loading vehicle for the Firtina howitzer, which carries 96 shells and 96 charges. It is expected that up to 80 of these machines will be manufactured.
Otokar offers the Arma in 6x6 and 8x8 configurations. In the photo BMP 8x8 with the installed Mizrak turret
Dragon on wheels
Nurol Holding's subsidiary Nurol Makina ve Sanayi is the third major Turkish player in the AFV sector. In 2006, she developed with her own funds the Ejder 6x6 armored personnel carrier with a V-shaped hull, which can withstand an explosion on an 8-kg mine and has armor that can withstand 7.62 mm armor-piercing bullets and 14.5 mm bullets in a frontal arc. Protection can be enhanced with additional modular armor. In addition to the basic version of the armored personnel carrier, several other options have been proposed, including: BMP; intelligence; reconnaissance of the use of weapons of mass destruction; fire support; ATGM complex; mortar; commander; engineering; repair and evacuation; and sanitary. Since 2007, 72 vehicles have been manufactured for Georgia.
In 2014, Nurol began production of the Ejder Yalсın 4x4, which is offered to the military and police. Depending on the role, the platform can carry up to 11 people, has a carrying capacity of 4 tons, which makes it possible to integrate various weapons and specialized equipment.
Mobile air defense
Since the mid-90s, Aselsan has been offering its Pedestal Mounted Air Defense System (PMADS) anti-aircraft system, designed to launch the American Raytheon Stinger surface-to-air missile. In order to meet Turkish requirements, two options were developed: Atilgan with a PMADS launcher with eight missiles and a 12.7 mm machine gun based on the M113A2 armored personnel carrier; and a Zipkin with a PMADS four-missile launcher mounted on a Land Rover Defender 130 4x4 vehicle.
Since 2001, the Turkish Air Force has bought 70 Atilgan complexes and 88 Zipkin complexes; the latter was also sold to Bangladesh and Kazakhstan. Aselsan also offers a PMADS variant that can fire Russian Igla missiles.
Complex Atilgan
Zipkin Complex
Complexes Zipkin and Atilgan
The company is developing two new low-altitude anti-aircraft systems to support deployed units: the Korkut self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and the Hisar T-Lalamids low-flying target anti-aircraft system.
In accordance with the contract with Aselsan, FNSS developed the ACV 30 chassis for the Korkut project; compared to the ACV 19, it is larger and has a total weight of 30 tons. An uninhabited tower with two 35-mm cannons manufactured by MKEK, a target tracking radar and an optoelectronic complex for all-weather target acquisition are installed on the chassis.
The shooter, commander and driver are located inside the vehicle. A typical Korkut division will consist of three anti-aircraft guns and a command and control complex on an ACV 30 chassis with a 3D target tracking radar installed in the tower with a maximum range of 70 km. The department issued a contract to Aselsan for the supply of a control complex and two anti-aircraft installations.
The Korkut prototype was first shown at IDEF 2013, and the Hisar prototype was shown by Aselsan at the 2015 exhibition. The Hisar complex is also based on the ACV 30 chassis, on which two vertical launchers of four missiles each and a radar on the mast at the rear of the platform are installed.
