Revamping the Vanguard: ASELSAN’s Comprehensive Solutions for Future Main Battle Tanks
In the dynamic realm of contemporary combat, the equilibrium between firepower, maneuverability, and defense is being transformed by technological advancements. Presently, it is the amalgamation of electronic systems, rather than merely armor thickness, that dictates survivability and tactical superiority on the battlefield.
Leading this evolution is ASELSAN, Türkiye’s premier defense electronics firm, whose tank enhancement solutions are revolutionizing armored combat for both national and international operators.
From the homegrown ALTAY Main Battle Tank (MBT) to enhancement programs encompassing Leopard 1, Leopard 2A4, and M60T platforms, ASELSAN provides a comprehensive modernization suite that upgrades legacy tanks into fully digitized, networked, and combat-ready systems. This strategy not only bolsters lethality and defense but also enhances long-term viability; empowering nations to extend fleet lifespans while achieving strategic autonomy.
A Comprehensive Integrated Modernization Approach
ASELSAN perceives modernization as a cohesive, system-wide upgrade instead of a set of disconnected improvements. Each subsystem, ranging from fire control to situational awareness, is meticulously designed to interact with others, creating a unified digital ecosystem that amplifies the tank’s efficiency across all fronts.
This all-encompassing integration heightens lethality through a precision fire control system, boosts survivability with layered defenses including an active protection system, and enhances crew performance via 360-degree situational awareness and battle management solutions. Developed and manufactured entirely in-house, ASELSAN’s offerings eliminate interoperability issues and ensure enduring technical independence for user nations.
Active Defense and Survivability
At the core of this modernization initiative is AKKOR, ASELSAN’s state-of-the-art Active Protection System (APS). Initially created alongside the ALTAY MBT timeline, AKKOR, with its modular framework, offers protection to various MBTs and armored vehicles. AKKOR detects, tracks, intercepts, and neutralizes incoming anti-tank guided projectiles, rockets, RPGs, and top-attack munitions before they can inflict damage.
Fitted with advanced radar sensors and high-speed interceptors, AKKOR delivers 360-degree coverage and counters multiple simultaneous threats in mere milliseconds. Its modular and expandable design allows integration into Leopard 2A4 enhancement schemes, providing a unified protection standard across diverse fleets. By merging hard-kill and soft-kill techniques, AKKOR substantially boosts both crew survivability and mission continuity under the most demanding battlefield conditions.
To complement the imperative for Active Protection across platforms and requirements, ASELSAN additionally provides PULAT APS for armored vehicles. PULAT offers both operational and integrative modularity in its hard-kill defense concept. PULAT utilizes advanced radar technology to identify approaching anti-tank missiles or rockets and then neutralizes them before they reach the platform through Hard-Kill methods. PULAT can be swiftly and effortlessly integrated into both contemporary and legacy platforms due to its modular and distributed system architecture.
Along with AKKOR and PULAT, ASELSAN delivers an additional layer of defense and survivability to both next-generation and legacy platforms.
Precision and Firepower Superiority
The VOLKAN Fire Control System (FCS) family defines ASELSAN’s approach to lethality. Emerging from the Leopard 1 enhancement initiative, it has developed into VOLKAN 201/120 and VOLKAN 200/120 versions utilized on ALTAY.
These fully digital systems integrate stabilized gun and turret mechanisms, advanced ballistic computing, meteorological sensors, and dual commander-gunner thermal sighting equipment. The result is swifter target acquisition, improved target tracking, and a hunter-killer capability that grants crews a crucial advantage in rapid combat scenarios.
VOLKAN 201/120 system ensures perfect compatibility with 120 mm smoothbore guns while retaining modular adaptability for older fleets. It transforms existing tanks into precision engagement platforms that compete with the most advanced MBTs on the battlefield.
Remote Firepower and Crew Security
ASELSAN’s SARP Remote Weapon Station (RWS) offers a supplementary layer of firepower and self-defense capabilities. Mounted on the turret roof, SARP enables crews to engage targets with 12.7 mm, 7.62 mm, or 40 mm weaponry without exposing themselves to adversarial fire.
The system’s dual-axis stabilization and automated target tracking ensure precise engagement while on the move, and integrated day/night cameras facilitate operations around the clock. Combined with laser warning systems and command networks, SARP upgrades legacy tanks into versatile, urban-capable combat vehicles adept at countering both asymmetric and aerial threats.
Situational Awareness and Sensor Integration
In armored combat, awareness equates to survival. ASELSAN addresses this via the GÖREN and YAMGÖZ systems, providing a comprehensive 360-degree digital view of the combat zone.
GÖREN enhances driver visibility across all environmental conditions with its thermal and low-light imaging, while YAMGÖZ delivers panoramic visuals for the commander and crew with its thermal and day television cameras. By amalgamating data from various electro-optical sensors, these systems facilitate concurrent and uninterrupted threat detection, tracking, and shared visualization, thus decreasing reaction times and enhancing combat efficiency in complex terrains or urban areas.
Laser Detection and Defensive Measures
The LIAS 400 Laser Warning System rounds out ASELSAN’s defensive suite. It detects, classifies, and identifies laser threats from enemy rangefinders, target designators, and beam-riding missiles. LIAS 400 provides 360-degree coverage and identifies multiple simultaneous threats in milliseconds. Upon detecting a threat, the system automatically informs the crew and activates AKKOR for countermeasures such as smoke grenades.
By integrating LIAS 400 into its larger defensive framework, ASELSAN ensures tanks can react instantaneously to enemy targeting, protecting not only the vehicle but also the mission itself.
Field-Tested Across Diverse Platforms
ASELSAN’s modernization ecosystem is proven in combat. The ALTAY MBT incorporates nearly the entire suite: AKKOR, VOLKAN 200/120, SARP, LIAS 400, GÖREN, and YAMGÖZ, showcasing Türkiye’s technological prowess in the armored sector.
The FIRAT-M60T program has revamped Türkiye’s M60 fleet with VOLKAN 201/120 fire control, sophisticated communication systems, SARP RWS, and PULAT APS defense, creating platforms already successfully deployed in operational environments.
Likewise, ASELSAN’s ongoing Leopard 2A4 enhancement project for a Latin American country highlights the company’s capability to localize solutions through technology transfer, crew training, and integration support; an approach readily applicable to MENA partners.
A Reliable Partner for the MENA Region
ASELSAN’s growing international presence, featuring regional offices and partnerships across the Middle East, positions the company as a dependable collaborator for nations seeking self-sufficient modernization.
ASELSAN’s model transcends mere technology supply, emphasizing industrial collaboration, technology transfer, and joint production, thus ensuring long-term support and local capability development. This framework aligns seamlessly with the defense industrial aspirations of MENA countries aiming to modernize fleets such as Leopard and M60 under national initiatives.
