Turkish medium tank Tulpar completes firing tests

Turkish firm Otokar and Italian defense company Leonardo completed static and dynamic test firing for the Tulpar tracked armored combat vehicle via a new 120-millimeter turret.

Leonardo's HITFACT MkII turret was integrated with Otokar's next-generation tracked platform, combining main battle tank-level firepower with medium-class mobility and protection.

After safety inspections, the vehicle's weapon system, fire control interface and stabilization systems executed a series of representative operational scenarios during the subsequent static and dynamic firing tests.

Sedef Vehbi, deputy general manager for military vehicles at Otokar, said the integration of a large-caliber weapon showed that the Tulpar platform can meet the complex survivability and firepower needs of modern armed forces, while the vehicle maker's commitment to modular architecture allows the rapid deployment of mission-specific systems.

Luca Perazzo, deputy managing director of defense systems at Leonardo, said the successful tests showcased the modularity of the HITFACT MkII turret, claiming the weapon is the only turret system in the world that mounts a 120-millimeter smoothbore gun on a light or medium-class platform without compromising on main battle tank firepower.

He added that the newly integrated turret system can deploy Leonardo's advanced Vulcano 120 precision-guided ammunition during combat operations.