Turkey Strengthens Military Ties with Asia

Turkey Strengthens Military Ties with Asia

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Turkey continues to desert the west as its main supplier of defense systems and goes to Asia instead. Turkey and Japan are discussing a joint development of a 1,500-horsepower engine and transmission system for the Altay, Turkey’s indigenously developed, next-generation main battle tank.

Turkey Acquired the KT-1 trainer aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries
Turkey Acquired the KT-1 trainer aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries

This deal would involve Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Turkish representatives discussed deals with Fuji Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to develop other equipment, such as a helicopter engine, a drone, infrared sensors, and a fuel battery system for vessels and submarines.

In the past , Turkey planned to purchase the Israeli developed Merkava tanks powered by an American engine. According to Defense News, Turkey has long been flirting with Asian manufacturers. The breakthrough came from South Korea in 2001, when Turkey signed a US $1 billion contract for the acquisition of the T-155 self-propelled howitzer.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

The T-155 self propelled howitzer was the first major Turkish deal with an Asian country (KIZILSUNGUR from tr)
The T-155 self propelled howitzer was the first major Turkish deal with an Asian country (KIZILSUNGUR from tr)

Six years later, Korea Aerospace Industries won a nearly $500 million Turkish contract for a batch of KT-1 basic trainer aircraft, followed by a few years of silence. But now, the South Korean company is seeking ways to find a slot in TFX, Turkey’s indigenous fighter jet program. If it does, that will automatically reserve the company a seat in TX, a parallel program designed to develop trainer aircraft for the TFX jet.

But the biggest shot came in September, when Turkey announced it would open contract negotiations with China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corp. (CPMIEC) for a program to build Turkey’s first long-range air and anti-missile defense architecture. The talks have been going on since then, despite growing pressure from Turkey’s NATO allies, especially the United States. CPMIEC has been on a US list of sanctions as part of the Iran, North Korea and Syria Non-Proliferation Act.

In the largest-ever deal for Turkey’s defense industry, armored vehicle maker FNSS signed in 2011 a $600 million contract with the Malaysian government for the Pars, an eight-wheel drive vehicle. FNSS CEO Nail Kurt told Sunday’s Zaman, a Turkish daily newspaper, that deliveries of the Pars have begun, and his company hoped to sign new deals.