M60/M1 hybrid tank to make debut in Turkey

CHRISTOPHER F FOSS JDW Land Forces Editor
London


General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) rolled out a fully functional prototype of its 120S main battle tank (MBT) at its Detroit facility in early August. This is now en route to Turkey and will make its first public appearance at the IDEF Exhibition in September.

The M60-2000 MBT has been marketed for several years and a number of countries in NATO and the Middle East were briefed on the vehicle (Jane's Defence Weekly 29 July 1998). Following customer feedback, detailed engineering work was carried out and last December GDLS decided to build a functional prototype. The first potential customer is Turkey.

The 120 in the designation represents the 120mm smoothbore gun and the S stands for speed and survivability. The M60 part of the earlier designation is no longer considered relevant as so much of the MBT is new. The tank looks similar to the M1A1 Abrams.

GDLS, the design authority for the M60 series, has considerable experience in upgrading this and other MBTs for export as well as the transferring tank technology abroad. The M60 chassis and the M1A1 turret have been leased from the US Army for the 120S programme.

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The 120S MBT utilises the complete combat-proven turret of the M1A1 Abrams MBT. (Source: GDLS)

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Turkey (337)

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In 1982-83 77 Leopard 1 TU (Leopard 1A3 in the Turkish configuration) were delivered fitted with the EMES12A3 fire-control system and PBZ200 image-intensificationn equipment. Further 150 vehicles were delivered between 1990-91 equipped with EMES 12 A3 and designated Leopard T1. These are converted former West German Leopard 1A4. A further batch of 110 Leopard 1A1A1 (modified to A5 standard?) are thought to have been supplied to the Turkish Army under the German government's "Armament aid" programme.

October 2000: Germany Refuses Tanks to Turkey - Germany has decided not to supply Turkey with 1,000 Leopard 2 tanks worth $7.1 billion, according to Defense Systems Daily. The tank sale has threatened to break apart the German coalition government between the Greens and Social Democrat parties. The German weekly, Der Spiegel, reported that Germany has offered to build a factory in Turkey to manufacture ammunition for light weapons instead of the battle tank.

Turkish tank and attack helicopter projects become a matter of honor

• Turkey's multi-billion dollar tank and attack helicopter projects have turned into a matter of honor for both Turkey and the countries whose companies are competing for the tenders
  
• The Turkish Land Forces Command has accelerated its M60 tank modernization scheme as it has recently started phasing out its obsolete M48 A5T1 fleet

Lale Sariibrahimoglu

Ankara - Turkish Daily News

Turkey's $11 billion attack helicopter and tank projects have been deeply politicized and turned into a matter of honor for both Turkey and the countries whose companies are involved in them.

Disappointed with Turkey's elimination of the French-German Eurocopter consortium from its $4 billion attack helicopter co-production project French President Jacques Chirac has reportedly decided to suspend his state visit to Turkey this spring. Chirac, who is currently attempting to prevent the French Senate from including the so-called Armenian genocide bill in its agenda, is said to have expressed his disappointment over Eurocopter's elimination to Turkish President Suleyman Demirel.

But French Foreign Ministry sources denied that, saying only that there are no exact dates for Chirac's visit as yet.

Turkey decided to eliminate U.S. Boeing, competing with the Apache, and Eurocopter, competing with the Tiger, from its attack helicopter project at an Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry (SSM) Executive Board meeting on March 6. U.S. Bell-Textron (AH-IZ King Cobra), Italy's Agusta (A129-I) as well as Russia's Kamov, competing jointly with Israel's IAI, (KA-50/52-Erdogan) are shortlisted for the tender.

There are now speculations that the final bidder may be announced either in early April or in the first half of June depending on political developments in Turkey.

O
n the issue of the main battle tank (MBT) project contention has arisen between Turkey and Germany which led to Foreign Minister Ismail Cem cancelling his official visit to Germany last Wednesday. Problems have been caused because of the German coalition government's insistence that it will only give export guarantees for Leopard 2 tanks under the condition that they will not be used in Turkey's troubled Southeast.

German Chancellor Gerhard Scroeder also cancelled his March 6 visit to Turkey in an attempt to avoid increasing tension with the coalition Green Party which opposes awarding export license guarantees to German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann competing in Turkey's MBT contest.

The recent row between Turkey and Germany erupted when Krauss-Maffei Wegmann officially applied to the German Foreign Ministry on March 14 for an export license to increase its chances in Turkey's tank tender.

However, a German government spokesman said that there is no chance of such a shipment being approved at present, citing concerns over human rights in Turkey.

The German reaction was followed by remarks by Turkish Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu who rejected any foreign restrictions on the use of the 1,000 MBTs planned to be co-produced in the $7 billion project.

In a meeting on March 20 with visiting Ukranian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk, Cakmakoglu said that bidders should resolve the issue with their own governments. "The situation should not be presented as a problem between Turkey and those countries," he emphasized.

As politics and technical specifications have emerged as two equally determining factors in Turkey's selection of final bidders in both projects, lobbying activities have intensified for the tank project. Tarasyuk lobbied for Ukranian-manufactured T-84 tanks competing in Turkey's tank project and offered unlimited export license guarantees to Ankara.

Turkish prime contractors have teamed with foreiGn companies offering MBT designs. U.S. General Dynamics Land Systems, offering the M1A2 fitted with a diesel engine, has teamed with BMC. Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, bidding the Leopard 2A6, has established a consortium with Otokar. Offering the Leclerc, France's Giat Industries has teamed with Roketsan and Ukraine's Ukrspetsexport has teamed with Asmas to offer the T-84.

Turkey, as in the case of its attack helicopter project, requested that companies supply export license guarantees for their models competing in tank project. The principal aim of Turkey in seeking such guarantees is to avoid any future interruptions to its major arms projects due to political fluctuations.

The deadline for bidders in the MBT tender to supply guarantees terminated on February 29, and so far only the Ukranian company has supplied Turkey with export assurances, which include third-country sales.

Cakmakoglu earlier confirmed that a contract for the MBTs is intended to be signed in mid-July.

If all goes as planned the first MBTs will be produced in 2004 and the first batch of 250 tanks completed in 2008. The SSM has allocated around $2.5 billion for the initial batch of 250 MBTs.

Turkey accelerates M60 modernization scheme

Meanwhile, the Turkish Land Forces Command (KKK) has accelerated its M60 tank modernization scheme as it recently started phasing out its obsolete M48 A5T1 fleet.

A Turkish delegation composed of the KKK and SSM visited Israel on March 25 to discuss the modernization of Turkish M60 A1 tanks by Israeli Military Industries (IMI). The KKK allocated approximately $300 million for the modernization of 170 M60 A1s, out of a total of 274, in order to meet its urgent requirements. The modernization project is planned to take place at military facilities in Turkey. Turkey also has a 632-strong fleet of M60 A3s requiring modernization.

Negotiations with Israel's IMI are being conducted for the modernization of only 170 M60 A1s, which are scheduled to be completed in the year 2003, military sources said. This will be followed by the co-production of third generation MBTs in 2004.

Meanwhile, local Turkish firm Aselsan has been requested to start prototype work on the improvements to be made to the firing mechanisms of 162 of 394 Leopard 1 tanks in the inventory of the KKK.

The KKK does not have sufficient financial resources for the modernization of the tanks, but the Turkish General Staff has asked the SSM to delay less urgent projects and divert funds to the modernization of M60 and Leopard 1 tanks.

The General Staff has already responded positively to an offer made by the KKK to open negotiations with Israel's IAI as a sole source in the M60 tank modernization program. Before the General Staff's policy becomes official it has to be approved by the SSM Executive Board, composed of the prime minister, the chief of general staff and the defense minister. But in the meantime negotiations with Israel have been accelerated.