#Mkek

Turkey has announced that a new version of their 7.62x51mm rifle, the MPT-76, has passed qualification with the Turkish Army. The MPT-76-MH has been significantly lightened. It has been reported by some sources that the rifle will be used in the role of a designated marksman’s rifle. However, this has not officially been confirmed and it seems more likely that it’s simply a lightened version of the service rifle.

Today’s photo features graduating Somalian Army conscripts being sworn in next to some new Turkish MPT-76 rifles and MG-3 general purpose machine guns made by Turkey’s state-owned small arms manufacturer MKEK. The photo was taken at a graduation ceremony for 185 Somalian officer cadets at the Somalian-Turkish Task Force Command in Mogadishu. The Ceremony was attended by Somalia’s National Defence Minister, Turkey’s ambassador to Mogadishu, Somalia’s chief of general staff and senior officers from the Task Force Command. A new cadre of officer cadets also began their training during the ceremony.

A recent flood of images from the excellent Turkish defense armaments based Twitter account Aybars have revealed that Turkish infantrymen are receiving the latest variant of the 7.62x51mm NATO MPT76 as a Designated Marksman’s Rifle. To be clear, this isn’t the first time that the new Turkish service rifle has been configured and issued in the DM role to frontline units, but it is certainly the most advanced attempt by incorporating a new scope, dedicated bipod, Turkish made 3E EOS LIRIL 300 laser designator, and possibly match ammunition. One of the scopes that have been in use for some time was a variable power Schmidt & Bender, however, in these new photographs, it appears that a Bushnell LRS 4.5-30x 50mm has been mounted in place of the previous optics in use. Gone is the Grippod that is still prevalent on numerous MPT76s in service today.

In a show of patriotism Turkey’s state-owned small arms manufacturer MKEK (Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation) has delivered the next batch of new MPT-76 rifles to the Turkish Army ahead of schedule.

Last month drawings of MKEK’s domestically produced FN MAG were released to the public, along with a 5.56x45mm NATO design. Through that and the specification pages on the companies website, we know that the company is finally coming out to the public over long-term plans to replace aging MG3s made under license by MKEK since 1974. What we have now is video footage of what appears to be function-testing of an MKEK MFY-71 (Makineli Tüfek-71/ Machine Gun 71) GPMG outside a factory or at least a rudimentary test range. The barrel lacks any front sight, and doesn’t have a final factory finish applied, along with the receiver rivets, feed tray cover, and bipod.

Turkey’s state-run Makina Ve Kimya Endustrisi Kurumu/Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK) have announced that non-commercial military exports of their new MPT-76 rifle have begun. Turkish news site Hurriyet report that MKEK have already secured a number of foreign contracts for the new 7.62x51mm, select-fire rifle.

While the majority of the defense industry is fixated on the adoption of the 7.62x51mm NATO MPT-76 select fire rifle by the Turkish Land Forces (which is still not complete in the least), or the more recent release of a 5.56x45mm version, MKEK has quietly been rolling out plans for two locally produced versions of foreign GPMG designs. Specifically these are essentially a modernized Turkish version of the PKM, but in 7.62x51mm NATO, in addition to what appears to be a direct copy of the FN Herstal, what would appear to be licensed produced version of the FN MAG, also in 7.62x51mm.

IDEF 2017 occurred in May of this year, but we missed this important Turkish development when it comes to ammunition. MKEK, the Turkish state-run armament company, and privately owned Aselsan signed agreements at IDEF 2017 to cooperate on the design and manufacture of “Smart” 40x46mm Low Velocity for use in UBGLs or stand alone launchers employed by the Turkish Military. The two companies have already worked together on a similar project, being the 35mm Anti-Aircraft using various technologies, most likely for different air burst capabilities. It would appear that MKEK will handle the manufacture, as it already manufactures standard 40x46mm munitions, and Aselsan will work on the actual electronics package, with the companies expertise in technology. What this “Smart” ammunition most likely entails is the ability to detonate a shell at a set distance from impact, thus denying an enemy the ability to hide behind cover. If this cooperation is successful, it will bring Turkey to the forefront within the MENA region with an advanced 40x46mm targeting capability, very rare throughout the world as well.

Six years ago the Turkish government announced that their armed forces were switching from the H&K G3 to an HK416 derivative that they were manufacturing domestically under license from H&K. The rifle, which was virtually identical to the HK416N, was called the Mehmetçik-1. Since that announcement I have not seen or heard the Mehmetçik-1 mentioned anywhere. Apparently Turkish soldiers, who were used to their 7.62mm battle rifles, disliked the range and stopping power of the 5.56mm cartridge.

Lionel, a regular contributor to TFB, has published an overview of the DSA 2012 defense expo ( English Translation) held in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year. The article includes plenty of photos.

American Tactical Imports are now selling the MKEK Yavuz 16 branded as the ATI AT 92.

ATI is importing 5.56mm NATO and 7.62x51mm NATO ammunition from Turkey. It is manufactured by Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation ( MKEK), the Turkish state owned arms and munitions manufacturer.

Earlier this year the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced they will be switching from the G3 7.62mm rifle to the HK416. The Turkish government owned arms and ordnance manufacturer MKEK will be producing the rifle under license from Heckler & Koch.