Tag: defence industry

Why does Turkey have a variety of tanks?

Why does Turkey have a variety of tanks? What is the purpose of each type of tank?

Turkey has such a vast array of Cold War (and later eras as well) tanks because they figured out that upgrading existing machines is cheaper than buying new ones. Their M48s, M60s, and Leopard 1s are certainly not the best tanks in the world by any means, however they work just fine in supporting infantry on the low intensity battlefields of the Middle East.

The M48 Pattons of the Turkish army are upgraded with night vision equipment, an improved engine, and a better fire control system. Some are equipped with ERA, I believe.

The Leopard 1A5s of the Turkish Army also have an improved FCS, but no armor upgrades to speak of (unlike Canadian Leo 1s, which had composite armor upgrades).

The M60s of the Turkish Army are unrecognizable from their original form. This is what they looked like when Turkey bought them

This is what they look like now.

The M60 Sabra has a 120mm gun, ERA, composite armor inserts, improved optics and FCS, more powerful engine, and an internal mortar for some reason!

Expensive upgrade, but cheaper than buying new tanks. That being said, Turkey is developing its own tanks, like the Altay, which will be their most modern MBT. When the Altay enters service, the Leopard 2A4s and M60s will replace the M48s and Leo 1s as the second string tanks of the Turkish army (most likely).

Ryan Perry

February 26, 2023
Turkey Hopes Sikorsky Deal Boosts Local Industry, Exports

By BURAK EGE BEKDIL

Rotor Goals: Turkey will co-produce the T-70 helicopter, the Turkish version of Sikorsky’s S-70i Black Hawk. (Sikorsky Aircraft)

ANKARA — Turkey’s procurement authorities are hoping that a recently signed US $3.5 billion contract with US helicopter maker Sikorsky will not only earn the local industry critical capabilities and support the country’s indigenous helicopter program, but also bring in more than $1 billion in revenue through exports.

“This is a win-win deal. The contractors’ gains may be financial or corporate, but we hope ours will be financial and strategic,” said one senior procurement official familiar with the program.

The contract, signed Feb. 21, involves the co-production in Turkey of an initial batch of 109 T-70 Black Hawk utility helicopters, the Turkish version of Sikorsky Aircraft’s S-70 Black Hawk International. Turkey’s procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), said the total production figure will eventually reach 300.

“For every helicopter to be produced in Turkey, another will be exported,” SSM said in a statement. That makes 300 helicopters for Turkey and 300 for other countries.

“I doubt if there will be such a large international demand for the Turkish-made Black Hawks,” one London-based Turkey specialist said. “But I am sure the Turks are right about the capabilities they are hoping to earn.”

Under the program, Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) will be the prime contractor, and Sikorsky and Turkish companies Aselsan, Tusas Turkish Engine Industries (TEI) and Alp Havacilik will be subcontractors.

Military electronics specialist Aselsan is Turkey’s largest defense company, and Alp Havacilik is an aviation concern owned 50 percent by Sikorsky. Alp will produce the landing gear.

TEI will produce in Turkey the T-700 engine for the Black Hawk, under license from General Electric.

Aselsan will design, develop and produce glass cockpit avionics for the Turkish utility helicopter. That cockpit will be used in all Black Hawks to be sold to foreign markets, except for the US Army.

SSM officials said Turkish industry will get 67 percent work share, and earn $1.4 billion over 30 years.

Turkey in 2011 selected Sikorsky as its partner company to lead production of the country’s next-generation utility helicopter. Sikorsky defeated Italian-British Westland.

The S-70 Black Hawk International is used by dozens of militaries, including Turkey. AgustaWestland was competing with its TUHP 149, the Turkish version of its newly developed A-149.

In May, Turkey’s procurement office said Turkey “had come very close to signing a $3.5 billion contract with Sikorsky Aircraft for the co-production of scores of utility helicopters.” But penning the deal had since been delayed as top Turkish procurement managers accused “US corporate and other bureaucracy” for factors that caused delays.

Most helicopters in the first batch will go to the military, with the Gendarmerie receiving the largest portion, and the Army, Navy, Air Force and the special forces command each getting their share. The remaining machines will go to the Security Directorate, meaning the police forces, and to the government’s Firefighting Department.

According to the production timetable, the first helicopter will be delivered to the Firefighting Department 55 months after the program takes effect. Two months later, in the 57th month, the Turkish Land Forces will get its first T-70.

“This program is unprecedented in Sikorsky’s 90-year history,” Sikorsky President Mick Maurer said in a news release March 4. “We have signed contracts that collectively will raise our already strong supplier and customer relationships in Turkey to levels that we expect will endure for decades.

“We are very pleased that these agreements also will potentially open additional markets for the world’s leading utility military helicopter while strengthening Turkish industry’s position as a world-class aerospace provider,” Maurer said. ■

via Turkey Hopes Sikorsky Deal Boosts Local Industry, Exports | Defense News | defensenews.com.

March 18, 2014
Turkey Seeks Indigenous Rotor Production Ability

ANKARA — Turkey’s procurement planners and aerospace industry have officially launched efforts to provide the country’s thriving defense industry the ability to build an indigenous helicopter.

Turkey wants to build an indigenous helicopter to replace its UH-1 aircraft. (Wikipedia)

Turkey’s arms procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), said Feb. 14 that it had created a “Rotor Technology Center,” or DKTM in its Turkish acronym, which it tasked with researching for and earning the Turkish industry a technological readiness level.

DKTM will carry out research and development and train “scientifically competent personnel” with a view to Turkey’s indigenous helicopter program. SSM said the move came as part of a June contract it signed with the country’s aerospace specialist, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).

“There will be several contracts and subcontracts attached to this program,” said an SSM official familiar with the program, referring to local and overseas defense companies.

A 14-page document details some of the project themes as part of DKTM’s future work under four topics: power transmission systems, rotor control, gas turbine engines and certification.

DKTM will operate at TAI’s premises at a science park on the campus of the Middle East Technical University here.

According to an official document that outlines its working principles, the rotor technology center will cooperate with universities as well as private and public entities.

DKTM will produce project review reports at least once every six months, and these reports will go to both TAI and SSM for further reviews.

Private and public entities can be contracted partners for research programs designed to earn rotor and related technologies.

The procurement official said the decision to launch an exclusive unit to research and work on rotor technology is an indication of Turkey’s intentions to design, develop and manufacture an indigenous helicopter.

“The final goal is to build a helicopter with as much local input as possible,” the official said.

Last summer, procurement authorities formalized their plans to build a Turkish helicopter when they tasked TAI with the job.

The program was launched in June 2010, and TAI submitted its bid to become the local prime contractor in October 2012. TAI’s 5-ton, twin-engine “light” helicopter would meet Turkish military requirements in the medium and long terms, but it will offer a civilian model for the commercial market.

The new Turkish helicopter would replace the country’s aging UH-1 “Huey,” but it also could meet Army training needs.

Officials say Turkey intends to use know-how and technology transfers that it would earn from a Sikorsky-led utility helicopter program.

In May, Turkey’s procurement officials said they came near to signing a US $3.5 billion contract with Sikorsky Aircraft for the co-production of scores of utility helicopters, but a contract has yet to be announced.

Turkey in 2011 selected Sikorsky as its partner company to lead production of the country’s next-generation utility helicopters. Sikorsky’s T-70, the Turkish version of its S-70 Black Hawk International, defeated Italian-British AgustaWestland for the contract.

The S-70 Black Hawk International is flown by the militaries of dozens of countries, including Turkey. AgustaWestland competed with its TUHP 149, the Turkish version of its newly developed AW149.

The first batch will total 109 utility helicopters, but with follow-on orders, more than 600 machines could be built at a cost of more than $20 billion, according to defense analysts. ■

February 28, 2014
What Went Wrong in Turkey’s Corvette Contest

By BURAK EGE BEKDIL

Critics believe Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has restarted a competition for a new naval corvette as political payback against a firm that is viewed as sympathetic to protesters. (AFP / Getty Images)

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ANKARA — There are two accounts. The unofficial one hints at a political crackdown on a company owned by an industrial conglomerate that has been at odds with Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian government, especially this summer.

And then there’s official account, which denies everything. Whichever is true, the Turkish government will now open a fresh competition among the country’s seven leading shipyards for the production of four Navy corvettes.

In January, Turkey’s decision-maker on procurement, the Defense Industry Executive Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, awarded the corvette contract, for six vessels at that time, to RMK Marine, an Istanbul shipyard owned by the country’s biggest business group, Koc Holding.

Defense News had reported that Koc Holding’s defense business could be a casualty of a row between the Erdogan and one of its top executives after a month of civil unrest that battered the Turkish government.

The report quoted an analyst as saying, “It should come as no surprise if the government decided to thoroughly scrutinize all Koc-related contracts, including defense deals.”

In one incident during the June demonstrations, protesters tried to escape police tear gas and pepper spray by taking refuge in a posh Istanbul hotel, Divan, owned by Koc. Hotel management admitted the protesters to its lobby, which quickly turned into a makeshift first aid room.

The police fired more tear gas and pepper spray into the hotel lobby although it is illegal to fire these chemicals into indoor spaces. It was reported that Ali Koc, a board member and third-generation family member, had ordered the hotel to help the protesters.

On June 16, an angry Erdogan said in a public rally: “We know which hotel owners helped terrorists [protesters]. It is a crime to abet terrorists. And those crimes will not remain unpunished.”

Defense News reported on Aug. 13 that the government could revise a contract for the production of corvettes, and on Sept. 26 the Turkish government scrapped the corvette deal, dubbed Milgem, and pledged to renew competition.

Industry sources insist that the decision was political.

“The hostility between Koc and the government is not new. It was there even before the protests. The Koc hotel incident was the last drop in a growing feud,” said one source.

But the top procurement official has a different explanation. “There is no political link here,” said Murad Bayar, head of Turkey’s procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM).

According to Bayar, one Istanbul shipyard filed a complaint that the earlier two-way contest had violated competition rules. SSM invited two companies, RMK Marine and Dearsan, to the Milgem contest, although a 2007 Strategic Sector Document issued by SSM had named seven shipyards as potential bidders.

Bayar said that in April or May, an inspection board of the prime minister’s office found the complaint accurate and recommended the contract with RMK Marine be canceled. It ruled that all seven shipyards had had to be invited to the competition.

“This has caused us a loss of one year in progressing with this program,” Bayar said. “Now we will invite all seven to a new competition.”

Bayar said two more of a total of eight Milgem corvettes would now be built by the military shipyards, and the remaining four (the first two had been delivered by the military shipyards) would now be commissioned to the winner of the new race. Each vessel, he said, would cost Turkey between US $300 million and $350 million.

Turkey plans to use the experience gained in the Milgem project to develop its first national frigate, the TF-2000, in the 2020s.

via What Went Wrong in Turkey’s Corvette Contest | Defense News | defensenews.com.

November 12, 2013
Turkey To Reissue F-35 Order

Ankara Must Also Choose Engine for Indigenous Fighter

Turkey suspended its order for two F-35 joint strike fighters this year, citing costs and technological issues. (Lockheed Martin)

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ANKARA — Turkey’s procurement authorities will reissue an order for the first two F-35 joint strike fighters the country intended to buy but suspended at the beginning of this year.

“We will submit a request to the Defense Industry Executive Committee in December or January to renew our order for the first two aircraft,” Turkey’s top procurement official, Murad Bayar, said.

The Defense Industry Executive Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is the ultimate decision-maker on procurement. Its other members are Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel and Bayar.

Ankara cited rising costs and technological issues for its Jan. 10 decision to postpone an order to purchase its first two F-35 fighter jets.

But top procurement officials admitted at that time that there was a “certain degree of psychological deliberation at work, too.” Turkey did not want to “stand alone in the dark’’ on the program, said an official with Turkey’s procurement agency, (SSM), which Bayar heads.

“We must make a decision [on the first order] by mid-January,” Bayar said. “The delay in placing the order has worked to our advantage in terms of price, more stable costs and technology.”

After the initial purchase of the two jets, Turkey plans to order 100 stealth fighters to replace its F-4 Phantoms and F-16 Fighting Falcons. Bayar said Turkey remains committed to the full acquisition.

Turkey is one of nine countries that are part of a US-led consortium to build the F-35 fighter. The others are Britain, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Norway and Denmark.

Turkey announced in March 2011 that it was placing its order for 100 jets on hold due to US refusal to provide adequate access to the aircraft’s source codes. Ankara said negotiations for access to the codes, including codes that can be used to control the aircraft remotely, had not yielded satisfactory results, and under these conditions, Turkey could not accept the aircraft. The issue remains unresolved.

Indigenous Fighter

Meanwhile, Bayar said the SSM is satisfied with mentoring services it receives from Saab, maker of the JAS 39 Gripen, for an ambitious Turkish program that foresees the design, development and production of what Turks claim will be the country’s first indigenous fighter jet.

“We are content with Saab’s services so far. The critical issue is the engine. Should we select an engine and design our aircraft in line with that engine’s requirements, or should we design the aircraft and select the appropriate engine afterwards? That is the main challenge in the program,” Bayar said.

He said the government should be able to make a decision on the engine for the program, dubbed TF-X, in December or January. “Alternatively, we may decide to work on this a bit more,” he said.

Bayar said Turkey would choose between European and US engine manufacturers. “In terms of thrust and overall performance, US options come closer to the specifications we have in our mind,” Bayar said.

Ankara has already drafted three models, one of which likely will become its first indigenous fighter.

Saab has been assisting TF-X under a deal that oversees “pre-conceptual design” for the program.

According to a draft plan, Turkey is aiming for a maiden flight for its national fighter jet in 2023, the Turkish Republic’s centennial. Production would commence in 2021, and deliveries to the Air Force are planned between 2025 and 2035. The aircraft would remain in service until 2060.

Saab produces the JAS 39 Gripen, a lightweight, single-engine multirole fighter. Saab has cooperated with other aerospace companies in marketing the aircraft and has achieved moderate success in Central Europe, South Africa and Southeast Asia. More than 240 Gripens have been delivered or ordered.

In 2010, Sweden awarded Saab a four-year contract to improve the Gripen’s equipment, integrate new weapons and lower operating costs. Last August, Sweden announced it planned to buy 40 to 60 Gripen NGs. The Swedish order followed Switzerland’s decision to buy 22 E/F variants of the jet.

For its fighter program, Turkey hopes to copy the method devised to co-produce T-129 attack helicopters with Italian-British AgustaWestland.

via Turkey To Reissue F-35 Order | Defense News | defensenews.com.

October 23, 2013
Azerbaijan and Turkey to cooperate in defense industry

Azerbaijan and Turkey are going to cooperate in the sphere of defense industry. The corresponding document has been signed by the 2 countries during the IDEF-2013 exhibition.

The exhibition held in the Turkish city of Istanbul has just ended. Azerbaijan has presented 130 products during the event.

The exhibition is held once in 2 years. Azerbaijan takes part in the event for the third time.

Source – vestnikkavkaza

May 13, 2013