Building on the capabilities of PULAT

As the operational use of main battle tanks (MBT) in low itensity mobile and even urban operations has accelerated over the last decade or more, so, too, have the threats these vehicles must face. Traditional passive armour has become inadequate for MBT self-protection, particularly against rockt propelled grenades (RPG) and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM).

Recognising this, Aselsan began work on active protection technologies and developed the PULAT system, in a very compressed time period, as its first foray into this domain. It has successfully defeated hundreds of RPG and ATGM in qualification trials and has been integrated onto Turkish Army M60T tanks. One of the few active protection systems (APS) currently available, PULAT has significantly increased survivability of Turkish MBTs, according to the company. Story on PULAT on KAPLAN here. 

Going a step further, the company has also been developing its next APS solution, designated AKKOR, specifically for the ALTAY MBT. Building on the capabilities of PULAT, AKKOR provides protection against asymmetric threats by extending the response mechanisms to include soft kill functions. Currently undergoing field tests, AKKOR is to be delivered to the Turkish Army integrated with the ALTAY as the first series production tanks begin to roll off the production lines.

Tim Mahon