After the process of developing an engine for Turkey's first domestic tank development program Altay with local tractor and diesel engine production firm TÜMOSAN was deemed inconclusive, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) recently launched a new tender for the Powertrain Development Project for the Altay main battle tank.

SSM has published the proclamation of the tender for the Powertrain Development Project, which has been in progress for some time.

Accordingly, the aim in the scope of the tender is to utilize existing facilities and capabilities within the Turkish industry at the maximum level in order to meet the powertrain requirements of the Altay tank with domestic and national facilities. The final product aims to remove the Altay tank's foreign dependency on the powertrain, developing a powertrain that is not subject to export license.

Previously, a contract worth 190 million euros was signed with TÜMOSAN for the development of the powertrain.

The scope of the project, which was planned to be completed over a duration of 54 months, aimed for "the use of existing domestic facilities and capabilities at the maximum level and the original design, development, prototype production, testing and qualification of the powertrain planned to be used in the Altay tank with all the rights owned by Turkey, by obtaining technical support from abroad in case of need."

TÜMOSAN, which agreed to receive technical support from Austrian AVL Company, terminated the Technical Support Provider Agreement because it did not fulfill the company's commitments. Upon TÜMOSAN's inconclusive attempts in this regard, the contract signed with SSM was mutually terminated without penalty.

TÜMOSAN officials said in a previous statement on the subject that they will be "the strongest candidates" in the new tender. Although the conditions of the new tender are unclear, the officials said, "Based on the previous tender, we think that we will be able to fulfill the necessary conditions with our own resources in five-and-a-half years."

The most recent development in the defense industry's powertrain development was experienced on Oct. 13. The SSM and the BMC signed an agreement on the New Generation Light Armored Vehicle Powertrain Development Project. Under the contract, the BMC was tasked with meeting the powertrain needs of the tracked configuration of the new-generation, light-armored vehicles with domestic means.