MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA to Mass Produce

OE Watch Commentary: On 9 November 2018 the Presidency “The contract for the mass production of (Turkish) of Defense Industries of Turkey (SSB in its Turkish acronym) signed a deal with Turkish defense contractor BMC to mass Altay tank was signed in a ceremony at the state produce 250 Altay main battle . The Altay tank is believed to Defense Industries Presidency (SSB).” be an improved version of ’s K2 Black . The accompanying passage from the state-owned Anadolu Ajansı Source: Necati Keleş, “Altay tankının seri üretim sözleşmesi imzalandı provides information about the agreement for the production of (Contract signed for the mass production of Altay tank),” Anadolu Ajansı, 9 November 2018. https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gunun-basliklari/ Altay tanks. altay-tankinin-seri-uretim-sozlesmesi-imzalandi/1306982 According to the passage, in the initial phase, 250 Altay tanks will be manufactured and the Command will The contract for the mass production of Altay tank was signed in a ceremony at the state Defense Industries Presidency (SSB)… receive the delivery of the first tank within 18 months. The Turkish and Qatari joint venture BMC will manufacture the tank, with …The state Defense Industries President [Ismail] Demir, ... armored additional involvement of Turkish firms Roketsan, Aselsan, MKE vehicle maker BMC’s Chairman Ethem Sancak, Chairman of Aselsan Haluk Görgün, and General Manager of Roketsan Selçuk Yasar were and Havelsan. BMC’s CEO Ethem Sancak, during the signing present at the signing ceremony for the Altay [tank] mass production ceremony, stated that SSB and the requested contract. to manufacture the Altay tanks 100 percent locally. However, despite this request, the Turkish defense industry is still unable The project includes mass production of 250 Altay main battle tanks. The contract includes life-cycle logistical support and the establishment to produce a Turkish-made engine. The president of SSB Ismail and operation of the Tank Systems Technology Center. The first Altay Demir, stated that the engine will be foreign at this stage while tank is projected to be delivered to Land Forces Command in 18 months. locally made engines are being developed. German MTU engines As part of the contract one unmanned Altay tank will also be designed, will probably be used as the prototypes were produced using this developed, and manufactured. Altay tanks have a 120-mm gun, engine. electronic command and control systems, and armor… The first 40 tanks are projected to be relatively basic in design Demir in a speech during the ceremony said the Altay tank is a mile and will carry the Akkor and some stone in the development of the Turkish defense industry. additional armor. The other 210 tanks will have a more advanced Demir said foreign engines will be used in the first Altay tanks and in armor system and the capability to launch laser-guided projectiles the future locally [made] engines will be used… from their 120-mm main gun. They will also have electronic Regarding the engine of the tank, Demir said Turkey’s main aim was to command and control systems. Designing an unmanned Altay tank maximize the local production rate in such defense projects. was also in the contract. Turkey’s long-awaited Altay tank’s mass “We need to overcome obstacles that obstruct Turkey’s ability to production will certainly play a significant role in local armored move independently. We are, of course, not closing the doors to foreign vehicle production and will be an important contribution to the partners. Our doors remain open to any firms which want to cooperate Turkish defense industry. End OE Watch Commentary (Gunduz) with us…” OEWATCH Check out back issues of FMSO’s Operational Environment Watch dating back to 2011. They provide translated selections with background from a diverse range

community.apan.org/wg/tradoc-g2/fmso/ of foreign media that our analysts Foreign Military Studies Office

Volume 8 Issue #11 OEWATCH November 2018 Foreign news & PersPectives oF the oPerational environment and expert contributors believe will give security professionals an added

1RL257E Krasukha-4 Electronic Warfare System EURASIA INDO-PACIFIC AFRICA 3 Russian Combined Arms Armies Plan Electronic Warfare 24 Made-in-China 2025 49 Yemen’s Civil War Fails to Discourage Horn of Africa Refugees Battalions 26 A Look at the PLA’s Youth Aviation Programs 50 Cameroon Prison Break Signals Rising Anglophone Insurgency 5 Russian MoD Considers a “Pocket” Iskander 27 Recruit Training Extended for New PLA Recruits to Increase 51 South Sudan’s Civil War Death Toll Reaches 400,000 6 The S-500 “Prometheus” Air and Missile Defense System Is Readiness 52 Nigeria’s Chukwu on Cross-Border, Counter-Boko Haram Coming! 28 The Growing Face of China’s Civil-Military Integration Operations 8 More Muscle for the Northern Fleet Initiative 53 Environmental Crimes Reportedly Leading Funding Source for 9 Increasing Russia’s “Brown-Water” Navy 29 Poor Training and Insufficient Personnel Hamper Chinese Terrorists 11 Why Russians Fight in Syria Maritime Militia Development 54 Military Intervention for Ebola Outbreak in DRC 12 Increased Economic Strains for Russian Military Personnel 30 Chinese-Nepalese Anti-Terror Training Causing Concern in 55 With Tight Budgets, South Africa’s Military Strains to Meet 13 Military Benefits of the Caspian Sea Convention for Russia’s India Mandates Power Projection Capabilities 31 India Upgrades Its MiG-29s 56 Partisanship Alleged in Promotion of Malian Generals 14 The Joint Tajik-Uzbek Effort to Demine the Border 32 Singapore Unites Southeast Asia to Counter Terrorism 57 Will Corruption in South Sudan Torpedo Peace Plan? 15 Gauging Armenian and Azerbaijani Military Exercises 33 Is It Too Late for the Maldives to Lift Itself Out From Under dimension to their critical thinking 16 Moscow Pushes Own Approaches to Cyber Security on Rest China’s Hold? of CSTO 34 Vietnam Begins Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan LATIN AMERICA 58 A Bolsonaro Brazil and the FSP 17 Russian De-dollarization: Economic Counter-Attack? 59 Mexican President-Elect Plans to Extend Federal Security 18 Polish Perspective on Russian Disinformation Campaigns Presence 19 Social Media Restrictions for Russian Security MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA 35 Iranian Government Details Ahvaz Terrorist Incident 60 Worse to Come in Venezuela 20 NATO Arctic Exercise Draws Russian Response 36 Yemen: Houthis Claim Increased UAV Use 60 Overton Window Shift on Venezuela 21 French Naval Vessel Sails Northern Sea Route 37 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Confirms Use of Armed 61 Chinese Medical Aid to Venezuela 21 Russian Coast Guard Expanding in the Arctic Drones in Syria 62 ELN and FARC Seek Sanctuary 22 India and the Arctic? 38 Iran to Build New Missile System? 63 Colombia May Return to Aerial Fumigation of Coca Fields 23 Bulgarian Fighter Aircraft Acquisition 39 Turkey Tests Anti-torpedo Torpedo 64 Protests Disturb Peace Commonly Associated with Costa Rica 40 Turkish Naval Special Forces 65 Student Marches as a Form of Struggle 41 The Turkish-Russian Alliance in the Middle East 43 Russia and China Help Egypt’s Space Industry Move Forward 44 Supreme Leader’s Advisor: United States Common Enemy of Iran and China 45 Turkish and Iranian Cooperation to Fight Terrorism 46 Turkey Challenges Republic of Cyprus’s Drilling Plan 48 The “Soft War” on Hezbollah approved for public release; distribution is unlimited about the Operational Environment. https://community.apan.org/wg/tradoc-g2/fmso/p/oe-watch-issues

OE Watch | December 2018 45