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The indigenous BATU engine, developed to power Türkiye's Altay main battle tank (MBT), has successfully completed factory acceptance tests, marking a critical milestone in ending the country's foreign dependency on armored vehicle propulsion, the Turkish Defense Industry Agency (SSB) announced late Wednesday.
"This engine has been developed with indigenous and national capabilities and is of a quality that will end our country's foreign dependency in this field," SSB President Haluk Gorgun said.
"Test and qualification activities for the transmission are continuing as planned," the SSB said.
Top Turkish defense official described the BATU engine as the embodiment of Türkiye's engineering maturity and strategic vision in the defense industry, saying, "The BATU Engine is the embodiment of the engineering maturity and strategic vision that Türkiye has achieved in the defense industry."
"Development activities for the transmission, which is necessary for the full localization of Altay's mobility capability, are continuing successfully. Therefore, we do not see this success as a final point, but as a new beginning," he added.
"We will continue to pursue the ideal of a fully independent Türkiye in the defense industry as a state policy and to spread these capabilities to every field," Gorgun said.
The BATU engine development process began in 2018, with significant gaps in engineering infrastructure, testing capabilities, the supply chain, and human resources.
At the current stage, simulation, production, and testing capabilities have been acquired, and the engines have been successfully developed and their tests completed.
The BATU engine, designed to meet the high mobility capability of the Altay MBT, demonstrates superior performance in criteria such as low fuel consumption, long life, high altitude, and suitability for harsh climate conditions.
The BATU Power Group, which provides the mobility of the Altay tank, consists of engine, transmission, and cooling package components. With the BATU engine now ready, the indigenous transmission's qualification has become the top priority, with work continuing at full speed in this direction.
The BATU power group is being developed from scratch by BMC POWER, consisting of a 1,500 HP engine, transmission and cooling package. The V12 engine is the first 12-cylinder engine designed and developed by Turkish engineers, and it was successfully fired up for the first time in 2021.
In line with the 1,500 HP engine, development projects for transmission with steering and braking capability and high torque transmission, high efficiency cooler and multi-functional control unit are being carried out simultaneously within BMC POWER.
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