Page 72 - Global Power Turkish Defence Industry

THE TURKISH DEFENSE AND

AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

HAS BEEN UNDERGOING A

PROFOUND TRANSFORMATION

OVER THE PAST DECADES

Having achieved unparalleled success in the defense projects like the MİLGEM battleship, the
industry in recent years, today Turkey has one of ALTAY Main Battle Tank, attack helicopters, and
the fastest developing defense and aerospace unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to be successfully
sectors in the world. The experience and emphasis developed by the national defense industry.
on quality is evident among Turkish defense Building upon this early experience, Turkey
and aerospace companies as they undertake ventured forth with further indigenous projects,
numerous endeavors, create products that are including the ANKA UAV, the HÜRKUŞ ground
competitive worldwide, and assume important attack aircraft, the GÖKTÜRK satellite, a light
roles in international projects. With their utility helicopter, as well as a jet fighter aircraft.
qualified human resources and state-of-the-art In addition, some important sub-systems and
technology infrastructure, Turkish companies technology development projects have been
bring global solutions to satisfy many countries’ initiated to support such programs. Today, thanks
local requirements. These Turkish companies in part to many of the indigenous projects it has
conduct activities in many critical areas of the developed, the Turkish defense industry is quite
defense and aerospace sector, from original mature in terms of its capabilities, quality, and
design development to domestic production, proficiency. The Turkish defense industry both
from modernization to modification, and from meets the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces
R&D to international projects. and is a known player in the fiercely competitive
international defense market. In the coming years,
During the establishment of the domestic defense the industry’s share in domestic and overseas
industry infrastructure, the preference was to markets is set to increase as important national
cooperate and co-produce with leading countries defense projects are completed.
and associated companies. This enabled many

72 TURKISH DEFENCE INDUSTRY