Top Turkish defense event sees $6.2B in deals

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - The SAHA Expo, one of Türkiye's top defense events, saw the signing of dozens of agreements between foreign and domestic companies and institutions in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul.

Among the deals were export cooperation agreements and memorandums of understandings.

More than 130 agreements were signed worth $6.19 billion, with $4.33 billion of that amount going to export deals, the event organizer – SAHA Istanbul Defense and Aerospace Cluster – said Thursday.

The event featured 1,478 companies, including 766 foreign firms and the rest domestic, said Haluk Bayraktar, who heads SAHA Expo and is also the CEO of defense firm Baykar.

More than 120 countries attended the fair, including 27 Cabinet ministers from five continents and six chiefs of General Staff, and 178 procurement delegations from 35 countries visited the expo.

The five-day event, which began Tuesday, exhibited cutting-edge land, air and naval defense systems, products and software.

Anadolu was the event’s global communications partner.

- Deals in various fields

Türkiye's Defense Industry Agency, the Electric Generation Corporation, and Turkish Aerospace’s (TAI) Engine Industries signed a contract for electricity generation turbine maintenance and repair logistics support project.

The Machinery and Chemical Industry signed a supply contract with nanotechnology firm Nanografi for a nitrocellulose production line to be built in the Turkish central province of Kirikkale to boost the production of nitrocellulose, which has a critical importance in explosives production and is one of the basic components of military ammunition.

A pact was signed between Ulak Communications and Asartech R&D, Design, and Engineering for communications technologies.

A cooperation protocol was also signed between Istanbul Gedik University and Asartech.

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (Tubitak) signed agreements with leading defense and technology companies in various fields ranging from space to aviation, R&D to battery technologies.

A signing ceremony was held between the Defense Industry Agency, Turkish defense firm Havelsan, and Tubitak for the domestic cloud virtualization solution.

A signing ceremony was held between Tübitak's Defense Industries Research and Development Institute (Sage) and Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) producer Baykar for the Bozok ammunition project strategic cooperation.

Strategic cooperation agreements were signed between Baykar and Turkish missile manufacturer Roketsan for ammunition and equipment projects, and between Baykar and Turkish defense giant Aselsan for ammunition, camera, satellite communication, and radio systems projects.

In addition, a deal for an engine project was signed between Baykar and TAI’s Engine Industries. Baykar also signed deals with domestic and foreign firms Ordulu, Orqa from Croatia, and the Edge Group from the United Arab Emirates.

Roketsan and Havelsan signed a framework agreement for the installation of an electronic security system, and Roketsan and Tualcom signed a framework agreement for the procurement of communications systems.

Roketsan also signed deals with defense firm Meteksan to supply radar altimeters, with Opsin Elektro for laser target marking feature censors, with battery producer Aspilsan for a battery pack development project, and with Titra for cooperation.

In addition to those agreements, a cooperation signing ceremony was held between Aspilsan and the Gon Savunma defense firm for a battery for their moving target system, Talan.

A pact was signed between Turkish defense firm STM and Aspilsan to develop batteries for mini UAV systems.

Contracts for air defense projects Hisar and Sıper's additional battery procurement were signed between the Defense Industry Agency, Aselsab, and Roketsan.