Turkey is negotiating the purchase of up to 100 South Korean-made engines and gearboxes to power its first local Altay tank under construction, the Altay.
Turkey’s top defense procurement official, Ismail Demir, said talks with two South Korean companies were focusing on the amount of power packs (which are the engine and gearbox) for the Altay project.
“We have to set a quantity,” Demir said. “We are talking about 50 to 100.”
He added that after the agreement on the quantity will follow the pricing. Turkey, he explained, wants to ensure that the Altay will have enough foreign-made power packs, while the country is building its own version, called the Batu, to power the tanks.
“[Η κορεατική λύση] has accessories supplied from abroad [μη κορεατικές πηγές]. “We want to produce them locally for the Batu program,” Demir said.
In October, Turkey and South Korea signed a letter of intent under which two Korean companies would supply engines and equipment for the Altay. Turkish armored vehicle maker BMC, which builds Altay, is negotiating strategic agreements with two South Korean companies for joint work on a power package for the new tank.
Doosan and S&T Dynamics were expected to provide the know-how for the engine and transmission so that the power pack could be produced jointly in Turkey. However, the choice of cogeneration did not go as planned and it seems that Turkey will make an acquisition of the Korean power package, Turkish sources said.
Under the Altay tank agreement, South Korean companies will supply the power package and help integrate it into the next-generation tank. A test phase will follow. If all goes well, Altay can be powered by both companies within 18 months.
BMC won the multi-billion dollar contract with Altay in November 2018. The contract includes the production of an initial batch of 250 units, life-cycle logistics and the creation and operation of a tank center technology center by the contractor. As part of the contract, BMC will design, develop and manufacture a tank with an unmanned fire control unit.
The Altay program is divided into two phases: T1 and T2. The T1 covers the first 250 units and the T2 includes the advanced version of the tank. Turkey plans to eventually produce 1,000 Altays, to follow an unmanned version.
Petros Kranias
Source: Capital
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