Tümosan Wins Indigenous Power Pack Development Contract for “Altay” Turkish Main Battle Tank
In a decision adopted by the Turkish Defence Industry Executive Committee on 6 August 2014, the Turkish diesel engine and tractor manufacturer Tümosan has been tapped as the vendor to carry out the Indigenous Power Pack Development Project for the “Altay” Main Battle Tank, for which the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries completed its efforts on proposal evaluations. The committee decided to commence contract negotiations with Tümosan for the power pack that will be used by the “Altay” Main Battle Tank. The competition for the tender, pending for the past three years, pitted Tümosan against two other firms, HEMA and BMC.
Concerning the project which Tümosan has been pursuing since 2011, the company, in a statement addressed to the Public Disclosure Platform (an entity that facilitates the release of legally required notifications governing the Turkish capital markets and stock exchanges), stated that it had committed to implementing the project for the most reasonable price, with the highest amount of local content and at the shortest duration. The statement went on to say that “Tümosan will carry out the phases for the design, development, prototype production, integration into the “Altay” Main Battle Tank and system certifications, of the indigenous power pack. The power pack for the Altay battle tank consists of diesel engine and hydro-mechanical transmission. As a company that produces its own tractor design at European Union standards, using diesel engines again produced by Tümosan, we share with our investors the honour of being tasked with the development of the power pack for the first indigenously produced Turkish battle tank.”
Power Pack Prototype Development for the Altay Main Battle Tank to be Completed in 6 Years
Top priority for the project is the use, to the greatest extent possible, of existing domestic facilities and capabilities for the original design, development, prototype production, test and certification of the power pack to be utilized as part of the Altay Main Battle Tank. The project calls for the acquisition of technical support from abroad where required. Tümosan general manager Mr. Kurtuluş Öğün said that establishing the infrastructure necessary for the development of the diesel engine and the hydro-mechanical transmission would play a lead role in Turkey’s industrialization efforts and its quest for competency, and added “since 2004, we have been investing in research and development efforts in the area of diesel engine and transmission technologies, and we are pleased that we’ll be using the knowledge we have accumulated towards the realization of the Altay Main Battle Tank Power pack Project.” Mr. Öğün said that the development program would help to minimize Turkey’s foreign dependence with respect to the modernization and production of wheeled and tracked vehicles for the Turkish Armed Forces, and would also eliminate third-country export restrictions. Mr. Öğün added that the development program would also contribute to the efforts towards indigenous production in the civilian sector, especially for diesel engine and transmission development in the Turkish automotive industry.
The development process targets Tümosan gaining design capability for diesel engines in the 300 to 1,600 horsepower range and associated hydro-mechanical transmissions. The Altay Main battle tank power pack is comprised of the engine component (V-type, turbo diesel, water-cooled, rated for operations in the ambient temperature range of -45 °C to +49 °C), the transmission (electronic-control system, hydrodynamic/hydrokinetic, 1,500 horsepower), cooling system, air intake system and exhaust system.
The program will entail two phases – the prototype development phase and mass-production. Defence industry sources anticipate a five to six-year period for the completion of the first phase. Following successful completion of the contract, the second phase (i.e. the mass production of the power pack) would then be negotiated by the Defence Industry Executive Committee at that time.
