I have no doubt that MKE is capable to develop a L/44 version.
Fair enough!I have no doubt that MKE is capable to develop a L/44 version.
But every new technical „thing“ must be engineered, built, tested, certified, integrated to vehicle, field-tested.
Existing 120 mm tank ammo must be test-fired and certified for the L/44 as well.
That needs extra time and money. I mean it‘s not like shortening a shotgun barrel at home with a metal saw
AFAIK Turkey license built the IMI L44 gun in Turkey, but this was a fixed contract for the Sabra program, not for us to do as we wish in the future.
Turkiye bought the license of the gun with the M-60T Sabra project.
I read on a couple of places that with the Sabra program MKE produced the bores of the 120mm L44 needed for the turret under license. If wrong someone please correct me.
Then why aren‘t they using it for the M60A3 upgrade?
Turkiye bought the license of the gun with the M-60T Sabra project.
Afaik the Leonardo 120 mm L/44 is also a Rheinmetall licensed gun (them Germans again
).
Oh, didn't know that. That's so bad, I am thinking of a solution, but as everything Turkiye will most probably go with national production in this case... (as everything else)Afaik the Leonardo 120 mm L/44 is also a Rheinmetall licensed gun (them Germans again
As I posted above the few producers besides Germany with independent L/44 versions are US, Israel and Japan (Type 10 tank).
It‘s a diffcult case. The L/44 is a somewhat outdated 120 mm and no export market to finance a new developed version.
Yes, I meant the rest of the M60 versions in TSK inventory which were not upgraded through Sabra program (didn‘t know the model designations).
Sabra Mk I was a proposed Israeli mod program, never ordered by Israel or Turkey. Sabra Mk II is M60T.
Cool, thanks for the info, didn‘t know that. M60T with a 120 mm doesn‘t sound too bad as a gap filler. Mass introduction of Altay is most urgent.
Isn‘t Leo 2A4 the most potent MBT of Turkish Land Forces?
We, and tanks have come so far from this, to this in 2 short decades. Tank itself is old, tech on it is another thing.
With how modified "M60TMM" is, they are more than a gap filler at this stage. They'll soldier on for much longer. With the latest TIYK update that saw the Israeli Knight FCS being changed with Volkan, weirdly they now have the most comprehensive digital package in operational NATO tanks. More than M1 Sep v3, more than Leopard 2A7. And maybe more than Polish K2s. "M60TMM", electronically is an Altay in a M60 shell. All systems now linked with each other, 360 degree view mounts on all side, linked to driver's cameras, LWR talking with RCWS and telescopic sight TEPES, RCWS linked to 360 degree cameras, RCWS doubling as both loader's and commander's sight, all linked, all interconnected. Aselsan did good here. It's still an M60 and lacks the commander's main sight, AND the electronically driven turret, but it's pretty good for what it has to come across, which at best is a Leo2A6 with 20 year old optics.
No. How do I know? We replaced the guns of many of the M-60Ts as the service life of the guns has expired. You can only fire a certain amount of shots with tank guns and our Sabras are extensively used in operations. We are now getting rid of all Israeli subsystems like FCS etc. as it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain even those systems. MKE doesn't list anything that it has no license to produce.
