[6][7][8][9][10] It is named in honor of Army General Fahrettin Altay[36] who commanded the 5th Cavalry Corps in the final stage of the Turkish War of Independence.

[38] According to the latest information published on January 2, 2025, the Altay tank is set to enter the Turkish Army’s inventory starting in August 2025.

[6][7][8][9][10] The project was initiated with an agreement signed between Otokar and the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries of the Republic of Turkey on 30 March 2007, when the Defense Industries Executive Committee awarded a contract worth approximately $500 million to Otokar for the design, development and production of four prototypes of a national main battle tank.

On July 29, 2008, Turkey and Hyundai Rotem signed a ₩500 billion (approximately US$540 million) design assistance and technology transfer contract for tank development.

[46] Once the prototypes are produced and tested, the Undersecreteriat for Defense Industries of the Republic of Turkey will prepare and execute a separate order for the first lot of 250 tanks.

[57] At the Antalya Diplomacy Forum held on March 11, 2022, Dr. Ismail Demir, president of Turkish Defense Industries (SSB), revealed that he was testing Hyundai Doosan Infracore DV27K engine and SNT Dynamics EST15K transmission imported from South Korea and he said in May that he will be able to see a prototype of Altay that combines Korean engines and transmissions.

[59] In his speech at the handover ceremony of the new generation of assault howitzers (MSB Arifiye Campus BMC Plant / Sakarya), President Erdogan said that two new Altay tanks will be manufactured in 2023.

He added that the research started last week and that he expected to create an authentic tank model specially designed for the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces within 3 years.

[65] As of September 2010, with approval of the tank subsystems and software by Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, Conceptual Design Phase of the Altay project has been completed.

[citation needed] On 15 December 2010, Defence Industry Executive Committee decided to start the development of national power pack.

[66] On 10 May 2011, Aselsan was contracted by the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries to design and develop two Battlefield Target Identification Device (BTID) prototypes.

[71][72][73] On 7 November 2016, MTR, FTR, PV1 and PV2 (Pilot Vehicle) prototypes made by Otokar were delivered to the Turkish Land Forces, and their acceptance tests were expected to finish in the last quarter of 2016 or early 2017.

[75] The tank will benefit both from indigenously developed systems and from technologies of the K2 Black Panther, accorded by an agreement signed with South Korea.

The planned maximum speed of the first batch is set at 65 kilometres per hour (40 mph), provided by an 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) engine and the MBTs will be able to function under 4 metres (13 ft) of water.

[32][76] While moving at high speeds, to evade ATGM attacks, sudden braking and manoeuvering at severe angles are capabilities that were taken into consideration from early developmental stages.

[77] According to reports, a military envoy from Colombia was present at the 2010 press meeting hosted by the Undersecreteriat for Defense Industries of the Republic of Turkey to obtain more information about the tank.