Turkey Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter Jeff Head
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Turkey's YAVUZ 155mm Wheeled Howitzer Enters the Race: Brazil Eyes New Artillery Acquisition
In January 2022, the editorial team at Army Recognition reported that Brazil had initiated a new acquisition program to acquire 36 wheeled self-propelled howitzers. Citing a tweet published by "" on August 10, 2023, it appears that Turkey is now one of the contenders, offering its locally-made YAVUZ 155mm 6x6 self-propelled howitzer, designed and developed by the company MKE.
In earlier reports from Army Recognition, two leading companies had stepped up to meet Brazil's requirements. These include France's Nexter Systems, renowned for their 155mm wheeled self-propelled howitzer in both 6x6 and 8x8 configurations, and Israel's Elbit Systems, the makers of .
The YAVUZ 6x6 155mm, produced by Turkish defense manufacturer MKE, is a contemporary self-propelled howitzer that combines firepower, mobility, and adaptability. Its design, with a 155mm/52 caliber gun, aligns it with current artillery systems, with the 52-caliber barrel indicating a mix of range and compactness.
The YAVUZ measures 10.8 m in length, 2.6 m in width, and 4.1m in height. It's relatively light for its class, weighing in at 32 tons. This weight, combined with its size, suggests a design focus on a balance between firepower and mobility.
Performance-wise, its on-road top speed stands at an impressive 90 km/h with an operational range of 600 km. It has a fire rate of 4-6 rounds per minute and carries 18 rounds of ammunition. The YAVUZ's range varies based on the ammunition type, reaching up to 40 km with the MOD 274. The elevation and traverse capabilities indicate flexibility in various firing scenarios.
Its loading mechanism combines manual and semi-automatic operations, possibly to enhance reliability while keeping the system simpler. Powering the YAVUZ is a Euro 5 Diesel engine, suggesting attention to emission standards and fuel efficiency. In terms of terrain capabilities, it can ford up to 1 m of water, cross trenches of 0.45 m, and climb gradients of the same depth.
The YAVUZ measures 10.8 m in length, 2.6 m in width, and 4.1m in height. It's relatively light for its class, weighing in at 32 tons. This weight, combined with its size, suggests a design focus on a balance between firepower and mobility.
Performance-wise, its on-road top speed stands at an impressive 90 km/h with an operational range of 600 km. It has a fire rate of 4-6 rounds per minute and carries 18 rounds of ammunition. The YAVUZ's range varies based on the ammunition type, reaching up to 40 km with the MOD 274. The elevation and traverse capabilities indicate flexibility in various firing scenarios.
Its loading mechanism combines manual and semi-automatic operations, possibly to enhance reliability while keeping the system simpler. Powering the YAVUZ is a Euro 5 Diesel engine, suggesting attention to emission standards and fuel efficiency. In terms of terrain capabilities, it can ford up to 1 m of water, cross trenches of 0.45 m, and climb gradients of the same depth.
Rumors are that this was actually a Cenk launch. The structural ribs match those of the Cenk canister.
CEO of TEI, Prof Aksit had an interview at A Haber. Some interesting statements:
"We manufacture SCBs, the materials used in making these blades and even the alloys used to produce these materials, in Turkiye"
"Where we produce SCB materials, we can also manufacture some missile components that Roketsan needs and can't be purchased from anywhere in the world."
"The SCB material we previously made was a 2nd generation material working at 1100-1150 degrees Celsius"
"Now we have produced 3rd generation SCB material in Turkiye. We tested single crystal material we developed and single-crystal material we imported/currently used common in aircrafts. We have seen that our material performs 20% to 30% better at operating temperature" (My addition: Perhaps this is the "CMSX-4 Plus" equivalent that was talked about at the "Aviation engine materials technology sharing day" at SSB: Link)
"They(State) want us to build a very powerful supercruise turbofan engine in small diameter for TF-X. We currently have all kinds of technology and competence to make this engine"
"TF10000 will be a test-bed engine where we will test our special technologies (For TF-X engine). In order to keep critical technologies confidential, we use incomplete/inaccurate designs in the mock-up we exhibit at the fairs. If they make the same model, that engine will not work"
Also, he said that the TS1400 has a pressure ratio of 14.
Thanks to @cabatli
"We manufacture SCBs, the materials used in making these blades and even the alloys used to produce these materials, in Turkiye"
"Where we produce SCB materials, we can also manufacture some missile components that Roketsan needs and can't be purchased from anywhere in the world."
"The SCB material we previously made was a 2nd generation material working at 1100-1150 degrees Celsius"
"Now we have produced 3rd generation SCB material in Turkiye. We tested single crystal material we developed and single-crystal material we imported/currently used common in aircrafts. We have seen that our material performs 20% to 30% better at operating temperature" (My addition: Perhaps this is the "CMSX-4 Plus" equivalent that was talked about at the "Aviation engine materials technology sharing day" at SSB: Link)
"They(State) want us to build a very powerful supercruise turbofan engine in small diameter for TF-X. We currently have all kinds of technology and competence to make this engine"
"TF10000 will be a test-bed engine where we will test our special technologies (For TF-X engine). In order to keep critical technologies confidential, we use incomplete/inaccurate designs in the mock-up we exhibit at the fairs. If they make the same model, that engine will not work"
Also, he said that the TS1400 has a pressure ratio of 14.
Thanks to @cabatli