By Tolga Yanik
ISTANBUL (AA) - Assan Group, a Turkish defense contractor specializing in aircraft bombs and munitions, has signed several agreements with the Edge Group, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and its subsidiary, Lahab. The contracts include the procurement of bombs and the establishment of a munition production line.
Gurcan Okumus, general manager of Assan Group, informed Anadolu at the SAHA 2024 International Defense and Aerospace Expo in Istanbul, where the company showcased its products in a prominent booth, that Assan has been filling explosives in a newly built facility in northern Türkiye, in addition to their extensive range of munitions.
Okumus indicated that Assan Group collaborated with the Edge Group and Lahab at the SAHA 2024 Expo to finalize sales of their MK series aircraft bombs and initiate a joint product development project, as well as to set up a turn-key ammunition production line.
He highlighted that Assan and the Edge Group have maintained a working relationship for three to four years, during which the Turkish contractor has sold “tens of thousands” of aircraft bombs to them.
Okumus also mentioned ongoing negotiations regarding the export of various products, noting that they presented samples of Assan’s GAB and OFAB bombs, which are Russian versions of the MK series. He explained that there is a demand for these munitions from Central Asia and Africa, where Russian aircraft are in use.
“Our priority is always to meet the needs of our Turkish defense industry and our own army; in addition to this, we fill our remaining capacity in exports, and the SAHA Expo is a very active place,” he said.
“We would like to offer our condolences for the unfortunate event that took place in the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) production plant a few days ago—such things will not deter us, and we will continue to work with even more ambition and higher motivation,” he added.
*Writing by Emir Yildirim