Defence in brief: Türkiye contracts BMC for ALTUĞ 8x8s

Turkish manufacturer BMC has received a contract from the Turkish Presidency of Defence Industries for 29 of its 8×8 ALTUĞ armoured fighting vehicles armed with a turret carrying a 35 mm cannon, according to a 24th February company press release. 

The contract was awarded as part of Türkiye’s New Generation Vehicles Project with another contract going to FNSS for the Pars ALPHA in 6×6 and 8×8 configurations. The project is expected to deliver over 2,000 wheeled vehicles to the Turkish Land Forces over the next few years, but exact timelines for delivery and production have not been made clear. 

The New Generation Vehicle Project was implemented several years ago to equip Turkey’s mechanised formations. The BMC announcement indicates that the ALTUĞ will initially provide an infantry fighting vehicle capability with its 35 mm cannon while the Pars ALPHA from FNSS will initially be supplied in an anti-armour and recovery configuration. 

The ALTUĞ is an 8×8 armoured vehicle designed to perform multiple roles. It has a top speed of 110 km/h and an operational range exceeding 800 km. It can climb a 60% gradient and cross a 2.2 m trench. It is quite similar to the Pars ALPHA in terms of mobility, although the ALPHA can overcome steeper gradients at 70%. 

Calibre comment

With this announcement, the Turkish Land Forces will have several new wheeled armoured vehicle types in service, including previous Pars deliveries from FNSS, the new contract for both 6×6 and 8x8s, and now the ALTUĞ. While some of these vehicles will have shared supply chains and components, most countries try to avoid having so many different vehicle types within a single fleet as it can increase supply chain complexity. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, published on 25th February 2025. Thanks to Devrim Yaylalı (@devrimyaylali) for bringing my attention to this additional contract.