Turkish Armed Forces receive top-notch howitzers of domestic production PHOTO/VIDEO

Six of the new generation Howitzers "FIRTINA" developed by Turkish BMC Company have been delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) at a ceremony held at the BMC Defense Arifiye Campus with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The FIRTINA Howitzer, an important firepower in the field for the TSK and used actively by the Turkish Armed Forces in many operations such as Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch, Peace Spring and Spring Shield, has added features with its new version developed and produced by BMC Defense, Defense Here informs.

With a speed of up to 65 kilometres per hour, the new generation FIRTINA Howitzer can pass through a 2.8-meter wide trench and 1.5-meter-deep waters. The new generation FIRTINA Howitzer has a new turret design with munition conditioning sections, a fully electric and servo-controlled turret power system, an improved fire control system, an increased rate of fire and an extended effective range. The electrically operated and electronically controlled automatic ammunition loading system in its previous version has been fully updated in the new generation FIRTINA Howitzer. The New Generation FIRTINA Howitzer, which also has the ability to shoot in line of sight for self-protection, has many new features, including the 12.7 mm SARP RCWS from ASELSAN.

Within the scope of the project carried out in cooperation with BMC Defense, ASELSAN, MKE and ASFAT, a total of 140 new generation FIRTINA Howitzers will be delivered to the Turkish Armed Forces. In addition, the most critical technology in the FIRTINA Howitzer, the imported engine and transmission, will be replaced by a domestic and national engine and transmission developed by BMC POWER as of 2025.

Speaking at the delivery ceremony, Fuat Tosyalı, Chairman of the Board of BMC, said, "We are implementing many innovations that will be pioneers in the world defence industry in this facility. The new Fırtına Howitzer, Panther Howitzer and, of course, the ALTAY tank, are all realized by taking strength from our innovation and R&D studies. Within the scope of BMC Power's ongoing projects, an investment of approximately 30 million dollars is made to set up this new facility, one of the few Engine and Transmission Test Centers in Europe.”