Turkey signs agreement with Eurosam, Aselsan and Roketsan for its future air defense and missile defense system

(To Staff)
06/01/18

Turkey has awarded Eurosam, Aselsan and Roketsan a contract for the definition of the future long-range air defense and missile system. The agreement was signed yesterday in Paris during the meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron. For the duration of 18 months, this "definition studio" aims to lay the foundations for the next development and production contract for the system designed to meet the operational requirements of the Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri).

The contract was awarded by the SSM (Undersecretariat for Defense Industries), which is responsible for acquisitions for the President of the Republic of Turkey, together with the Turkish companies Aselsan and Roketsan, and the Franco-Italian consortium Eurosam; supported by its two shareholders MBDA and Thales.

The agreement follows those signed by the industry on 14 July 2017 and those contained in the Letter of intent signed by the French, Italian and Turkish defense ministers the 8 November 2017.

The study paves the way for the launch of a long-range air defense and missile program common to France, Turkey and Italy. The future system will be ready by the middle of the next decade with a cutting-edge military capability to counter the most demanding threats (stealth aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles).

The result is expected to meet the basic operational needs of the three countries, guaranteeing Turkey full occupational autonomy along with discretion regarding the level of integration within NATO.

Joint development activities should help Turkey's indigenous missile and aircraft development program, as well as open long-term export and cooperation prospects for Turkey, Italy and France.

At the ceremony for signing the definitive study contract, Abdoulaye Samba, CEO of Eurosam, said: "Eurosam has been fully dedicated to air defense and missile defense since its foundation in the 1989 and has acquired global technological and cooperative capabilities. We are proud to provide this know-how to France, Italy and Turkey, within NATO. I am confident that this activity will last several decades and will help to bring our countries closer to the strategic level, as has happened in the last thirty years between France and Italy".

(source / photo: MBDA UK)