Analysis Wrong rumor about Altay tank : Is the main gun of the Altay tank really based on the 120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun of Rheinmetall?

Baljak

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First of all, I'm not a military expert. But i have been serving in the South Korean artillery unit for 4 years and operated K179 towed 155mm artillery and K9 SPG(Self-propelled artillery). And even though it was for a short time, I had experience operating K2 tanks by chance.

I have often seen allegations on the military forum and YouTube that Altay's main guns were made with Rheinmetall's technology. Even Wikipedia contains false information that does not have a proven source for the main gun of the Altay tank. I did a lot of things for a few days to collect objective data to write about this topic.

And i am writing this article to prove that the main gun of the Altay tank I claim is not licensed Rheinmetall's Rh-120 L/55. I am writing this article to correct the misinformation spread on the Internet through objective data and sources.

I will explain how Altay's main gun differs from Rh-120 L/55 of Rheinmetall by comparing the main gun of Altay, Leopard 2 and K2 tanks.

First, Let me briefly explain how and how the main gun of the tank is constructed to help the readers understand.



120_mm_L44.jpg

What we need to pay attention to in this picture is the Thermal Sleeve and the Bore evacuator, Because the design of the leopard 2(A6,A7) and Altay's main guns barrel is different. And I will compare with Leopard 2 A6 and A7 to explain how Altay's main gun differs from Rheinmetall's Rh-120 L55.


Leopard_2A7_Thermal_Sleeve.jpg
Leopard 2A7_Gun.jpg
Leopard 2A6_1.jpg

First, we need to look at the exterior of the Rheinmetall 120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun of Leopard 2A6 and A7.

A total of 4 grooves exist in the area where the thermal sleeve of the leopard 2 is connected to the main gun barrel. (There are 2 grooves on the left and right sides)

And there are a total of 6 grooves where the bore evacuator is connected to the main gun barrel. (There are 3 grooves on the left and right sides)

And now let's take a look at Altay's 120mm 55 caliber main gun.


Altay_1_Gun.jpg
Altay_3 복사.jpg
Altay_7.jpg

Now, did you find any difference between the main guns of the Leopard and the Altay?

A total of 10 grooves exist in the area where the thermal sleeve of the Altay is connected to the main gun barrel. (There are 5 grooves on the top and bottom)

And there are a total of 10 grooves where the bore evacuator is connected to the main gun barrel. (There are 5 grooves on the top and bottom)

Now we have identified the external difference between Altay and Leopard's main gun. Then there is only one thing we are curious about. If rheinmetall provided technical support for the main gun design of the Altay tank, questions arise as to why Altay's main gun was designed differently from the Leopard.

So i decided to look up articles about Altay on news sites in Turkey and Germany to get information on Altay's main gun design. But i couldn't get official information on Altay's main gun design from Turkish and German news, and there was no news article that Rheinmetall cooperated in designing the 120 mm main gun of the Altay tank.

So I decided to look up the news about the design of the Altay tank in Korean news, and I found a news article published on October 11, 2009 and October 20, 2014. And I found this phrase in this news article.

"11일 국방과학연구소(ADD)가 국회 국방위에 제출한 국감자료에 따르면 ADD측은 터키에 흑표 기술을 수출하는 대가로 현대로템을 거쳐 체계개발부문 744억원, 장갑체계부문 380억원, 주포제작부문 126억원 등 1천250억원의 수출 기술료를 지급받게 된다." Source of news articles

"ADD는 K-2 흑표 전차의 체계 및 주포, 장갑 기술을 2009년 1월부터 터키 오토카에 수출하는 대가로 2015년 7월까지 기술료를 받기로 했다." Source of news articles


Let me translate this phrase from this news into English.

"According to data submitted by the Agency for Defense Development(ADD) to the National Defense Commission on the 11th, ADD will receive 125 billion won in export technology fees, including 74.4 billion won in the system development, 38 billion won in the armor package system and 12.6 billion won in the main gun manufacturing, through Hyundai Rotem in exchange for exporting K2 tank technology to Turkey."

"ADD has decided to receive technology fees from January 2009 to July 2015 in return for exporting the system, main gun, and armor technology of the K2 tank to otokar, Turkey."


The information found in a Korean news article is that Hyundai Rotem of Korea exported the technology of the K2 tank through the Altay Tank Project, which was participated in since January 2009, and received an export fee of $330 million from Turkey in July 2015.

Now we know for sure that Altay's main gun has nothing to do with Rheinmetall. But, a little more comparison is needed to prove that Altay's main gun has nothing to do with Rheinmetall. let's compare Leopard, Altay, and K2's main guns


Gun_Barrel_Leopard2A6_1.jpg
Gun_Barrel_Altay_1.jpg
Gun_Barrel_K2_1.jpg

If you look at the barrel of the Altay and K2 main gun, you can see that the Thermal Sleeve and Bore Evacuator have the same appearance. But Leopard 2A6's Thermal Sleeve and Bore Evacuator show that appearance is different from Altay and K2.

The designer of the K2 tank said the CN08 120 mm 55 caliber main gun of the K2 was designed lighter than the 120 mm L55 of Rheinmetall. Leopard 2A6's Thermal Sleeve and Bore Evacuator show that appearance is different from Altay and K2. And I found another difference between Altay and K2's main gun and Rheinmetall's 120 mm L55 main gun.


Thermal_Sleeve_Comparison.jpg

Certainly, the thermal sleeve of the Leopard 2A6 is designed longer than the thermal sleeve of the Altay and K2. Now we know that Altay's MKE 120 mm L55 main gun has a completely different design than Rheinmetall's 120 mm L55.

Now let's compare in detail whether Altay and K2 really share the main gun of the same design.


Thermal_Sleeve_Altay.jpg

Thermal_Sleeve_K2.jpg
Bore_Evacuator_Altay_1.jpg
Bore_Evacuator_K2_1.jpg

Altay_Gun_Barrel.jpg

K2_Gun_Barrel.jpg

Bore_Evacuator_Altay_2.jpg
Bore_Evacuator_K2_2.jpg
Bore_Evacuator_Altay_3.jpg
Bore_Evacuator_K2_3.jpg

Verified Fact: Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall did not participate in the Altay tank development project. The Altay Tank development Project was conducted through international bidding, and Hyundai Rotem beat Germany (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann) to be selected as the preferred bidder in June 2007, and Hyundai Rotem and Otokar signed the contract on July 29, 2008.
 
Last edited:

Pilatino

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First of all, I'm not a military expert. But i have been serving in the South Korean artillery unit for 4 years and operated K179 towed 155mm artillery and K9 SPG(Self-propelled artillery). And even though it was for a short time, I had experience operating K2 tanks by chance.

I have often seen allegations on the military forum and YouTube that Altay's main guns were made with Rheinmetall's technology. Even Wikipedia contains false information that does not have a proven source for the main gun of the Altay tank. I did a lot of things for a few days to collect objective data to write about this topic.

And i am writing this article to prove that the main gun of the Altay tank I claim is not licensed Rheinmetall's Rh-120 L/55. I am writing this article to correct the misinformation spread on the Internet through objective data and sources.

I will explain how Altay's main gun differs from Rh-120 L/55 of Rheinmetall by comparing the main gun of Altay, Leopard 2 and K2 tanks.

First, Let me briefly explain how and how the main gun of the tank is constructed to help the readers understand.



View attachment 33176
What we need to pay attention to in this picture is the Thermal Sleeve and the Bore evacuator, Because the design of the leopard 2(A6,A7) and Altay's main guns barrel is different. And I will compare with Leopard 2 A6 and A7 to explain how Altay's main gun differs from Rheinmetall's Rh-120 L55.


View attachment 33177 View attachment 33178 View attachment 33179
First, we need to look at the exterior of the Rheinmetall 120 mm 55 caliber smoothbore gun of Leopard 2A6 and A7.

A total of 4 grooves exist in the area where the thermal sleeve of the leopard 2 is connected to the main gun barrel. (There are 2 grooves on the left and right sides)

And there are a total of 6 grooves where the bore evacuator is connected to the main gun barrel. (There are 3 grooves on the left and right sides)

And now let's take a look at Altay's 120mm 55 caliber main gun.


View attachment 33180 View attachment 33181 View attachment 33182
Now, did you find any difference between the main guns of the Leopard and the Altay?

A total of 10 grooves exist in the area where the thermal sleeve of the Altay is connected to the main gun barrel. (There are 5 grooves on the top and bottom)

And there are a total of 10 grooves where the bore evacuator is connected to the main gun barrel. (There are 5 grooves on the top and bottom)

Now we have identified the external difference between Altay and Leopard's main gun. Then there is only one thing we are curious about. If rheinmetall provided technical support for the main gun design of the Altay tank, questions arise as to why Altay's main gun was designed differently from the Leopard.

So i decided to look up articles about Altay on news sites in Turkey and Germany to get information on Altay's main gun design. But i couldn't get official information on Altay's main gun design from Turkish and German news, and there was no news article that Rheinmetall cooperated in designing the 120 mm main gun of the Altay tank.

So I decided to look up the news about the design of the Altay tank in Korean news, and I found a news article published on October 11, 2009 and October 20, 2014. And I found this phrase in this news article.

"11일 국방과학연구소(ADD)가 국회 국방위에 제출한 국감자료에 따르면 ADD측은 터키에 흑표 기술을 수출하는 대가로 현대로템을 거쳐 체계개발부문 744억원, 장갑체계부문 380억원, 주포제작부문 126억원 등 1천250억원의 수출 기술료를 지급받게 된다." Source of news articles

"ADD는 K-2 흑표 전차의 체계 및 주포, 장갑 기술을 2009년 1월부터 터키 오토카에 수출하는 대가로 2015년 7월까지 기술료를 받기로 했다." Source of news articles


Let me translate this phrase from this news into English.

"According to data submitted by the Agency for Defense Development(ADD) to the National Defense Commission on the 11th, ADD will receive 125 billion won in export technology fees, including 74.4 billion won in the system development, 38 billion won in the armor package system and 12.6 billion won in the main gun manufacturing, through Hyundai Rotem in exchange for exporting K2 tank technology to Turkey."

"ADD has decided to receive technology fees from January 2009 to July 2015 in return for exporting the system, main gun, and armor technology of the K2 tank to otokar, Turkey."


The information found in a Korean news article is that Hyundai Rotem of Korea exported the technology of the K2 tank through the Altay Tank Project, which was participated in since January 2009, and received an export fee of $330 million from Turkey in July 2015.

Now we know for sure that Altay's main gun has nothing to do with Rheinmetall. But, a little more comparison is needed to prove that Altay's main gun has nothing to do with Rheinmetall. let's compare Leopard, Altay, and K2's main guns


View attachment 33185 View attachment 33186 View attachment 33187
If you look at the barrel of the Altay and K2 main gun, you can see that the Thermal Sleeve and Bore Evacuator have the same appearance. But Leopard 2A6's Thermal Sleeve and Bore Evacuator show that appearance is different from Altay and K2.

The designer of the K2 tank said the CN08 120 mm 55 caliber main gun of the K2 was designed lighter than the 120 mm L55 of Rheinmetall. Leopard 2A6's Thermal Sleeve and Bore Evacuator show that appearance is different from Altay and K2. And I found another difference between Altay and K2's main gun and Rheinmetall's 120 mm L55 main gun.


View attachment 33188
Certainly, the thermal sleeve of the Leopard 2A6 is designed longer than the thermal sleeve of the Altay and K2. Now we know that Altay's MKE 120 mm L55 main gun has a completely different design than Rheinmetall's 120 mm L55.

Now let's compare in detail whether Altay and K2 really share the main gun of the same design.


View attachment 33197
View attachment 33190 View attachment 33191 View attachment 33192
View attachment 33199
View attachment 33200
View attachment 33193 View attachment 33194 View attachment 33195 View attachment 33196

Verified Fact: Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall did not participate in the Altay tank development project. The Altay Tank development Project was conducted through international bidding, and Hyundai Rotem beat Germany (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann) to be selected as the preferred bidder in June 2007, and Hyundai Rotem and Otokar signed the contract on July 29, 2008.
Thanks for the detailed entry. In addition, I would like to thank South Korea and its people for their brotherly manners against us in terms of defene. We love you all. 🇹🇷♥️🇰🇷
 

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