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AKKOR Active Protection System: How It Protects the ALTAY Tank

AKKOR Active Protection System: How It Protects the ALTAY Tank

Last updated: September 22, 2026

AKKOR is a fully Turkish-developed active protection system (APS) built by ASELSAN alongside the ALTAY tank programme since 2008. It combines hard-kill and soft-kill technologies in a single suite, providing 360-degree defensive coverage against anti-tank guided missiles and rocket-propelled grenades, including top-attack munitions. AKKOR 10 was formally adopted into the Turkish Armed Forces inventory on May 20, 2025.

Quick Facts
  • Developer: ASELSAN, Türkiye
  • Class: Dual-layer active protection system (hard-kill + soft-kill)
  • Coverage: 360 degrees, with simultaneous multi-threat engagement
  • Development start: 2008, alongside the ALTAY tank
  • First successful intercept: 2010
  • Qualification testing: completed 2024
  • Official inventory adoption: May 20, 2025 (AKKOR 10)
  • First disclosed production contract: €54 million (2015)
  • Fitted platforms: ALTAY (primary), Leopard 2A4 (ongoing upgrade), Korhan light armoured vehicle (lighter AKKOR KAMA variant, still in testing)
AKKOR is a Turkish active protection system by ASELSAN that defends tanks and armoured vehicles against anti-tank missiles two ways at once: physically intercepting the incoming projectile (hard-kill), and jamming its laser or infrared guidance before it can be aimed accurately (soft-kill) — with full 360-degree coverage around the vehicle.

What Is AKKOR and How Does It Work?

AKKOR relies on a network of high-resolution perimeter radars capable of detecting incoming projectiles in real time. It operates independently of exposed optical sensors, allowing it to function in harsh environmental conditions — rain, dust, snow, or mud — without losing effectiveness.

Hard-Kill Layer

Upon detecting a threat, the system automatically launches a defensive munition that detonates near the incoming projectile, destroying it via fragmentation before it reaches the vehicle’s hull. It provides full 360-degree coverage with the ability to counter multiple threats simultaneously.

Soft-Kill Layer

The system includes laser warning sensors and multispectral munitions designed to disrupt laser- and infrared-guided targeting systems by deploying intelligent smoke screens — confusing guided munitions before the hard-kill layer even needs to engage.

Programme Timeline

Date Milestone
2008 Development begins alongside the ALTAY tank programme
2010 First successful intercept
2015 First disclosed production contract, worth €54 million
2024 Qualification testing completed
May 20, 2025 “AKKOR 10” formally adopted into the Turkish Armed Forces inventory

Integration with ALTAY and Other Platforms

AKKOR is the core protection component of the Turkish ALTAY tank, working alongside Roketsan’s composite and reactive armour. Thanks to its modular design, the system extends well beyond ALTAY:

  • Turkish Leopard 2A4 — under an ongoing upgrade programme
  • Korhan — a light armoured vehicle, fitted with a lighter variant known as AKKOR KAMA, still under testing
  • An additional, not-yet-publicly-specified platform under a 2024 contract

This modular architecture allows protection to scale from heavy tanks down to lighter armoured vehicles without redesigning the system from scratch for each platform.

AKKOR Compared to Global Active Protection Systems

Several defence analyses place AKKOR among the advanced generation of active protection systems, alongside well-known names such as Israel’s Trophy (fitted to Merkava tanks and some Abrams variants), Russia’s Arena-M, and Elbit’s Iron Fist. AKKOR stands out for its dual-layer defence architecture (hard-kill and soft-kill combined), its ability to engage multiple simultaneous threats, and a modular design that gives it broader platform flexibility.

This comparison draws on published defence analyses (see Sources). Precise interception rates and detection ranges for each competing system are not fully disclosed by their respective manufacturers, so we avoid presenting an unverified numerical comparison table here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who makes the AKKOR system?
Turkish company ASELSAN, developed alongside the ALTAY tank programme since 2008.
How does AKKOR protect the ALTAY tank from missiles?
Through two layers: soft-kill, which disrupts laser- and infrared-guided targeting with intelligent smoke screens, and hard-kill, which physically intercepts and destroys the incoming projectile via fragmentation before it reaches the tank — with full 360-degree coverage.
When did AKKOR officially enter service?
On May 20, 2025, when ASELSAN announced the official adoption of “AKKOR 10” into the Turkish Armed Forces inventory, following qualification testing completed in 2024.
Is AKKOR fitted to vehicles other than ALTAY?
Yes — thanks to its modular design, it is also being fitted to Turkish Leopard 2A4 tanks under an upgrade programme, and a lighter variant (AKKOR KAMA) is being tested on the Korhan light armoured vehicle.
What’s the difference between AKKOR’s hard-kill and soft-kill layers?
Soft-kill disrupts the guidance of an incoming munition before it is accurately aimed (jamming laser/infrared targeting), while hard-kill engages after the munition has already been fired, physically intercepting and detonating it before impact.

Sources

  1. Army Recognition — Türkiye Adopts AKKOR 10 System (2025)
  2. Shephard Media — Aselsan has started producing Akkor APS for Altay tank
  3. Defence Turkey Magazine — ASELSAN Shared Test Images of AKKOR APS
  4. Wikipedia — Active Protection System
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