Turkish Defence Industry’s Eurosatory Participation a Sign of New Era in Turkey-France Relations ?
As the leading supplier of 4x4 tactical and armoured vehicles for the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF), Otokar displayed the recently developed COBRA Armoured Reconnaissance and Surveillance vehicle (ARSV, interior pictured, and showcased for the first time), ARMA 6x6 with closed turret weapon station, ARMA 6x6 Amphibious Armoured Personnel Carrier, KAYA-I Mine Resistant Troop Carrier, and COBRA APC with Remote Control Weapon Station. In addition to its tactical wheeled armoured vehicles, Otokar also promoted its ALTAY MBT programme over a small-scale model of ALTAY MBT displayed at the stand. Equipped with Aselsan-built sophisticated electro-optics, mounted on a telescopic mast, the COBRA ARSV, can detect, recognise and identify remote targets under day/night and all weather conditions. And, images of the detected target can be transmitted in picture or video format, with the location and identification info, with other vehicles within the operation and the command centre. According to Otokar officials the total height of mast is around 3.7m including the vehicle height and two countries have already declared their interest to COBRA ARSV. The COBRA ARSV will be sent to one of these countries for demo in September 2012. As the one of the most desired and well-known armoured tactical vehicles of its range throughout the world Otokar, has so far managed to sell COBRA vehicles to over 10 customers worldwide and recently signed an MoU with Kazakh State Company, <rot>Kazakhstan Engineering<P> for manufacturing COBRA vehicles in Kazakhstan. (Photo: IS)
According to the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries’ (SSM) 2011 Annual Report, which was issued in April 2012, the Turkish defence and aerospace sector achieved a $4.38 billion turnover and a $1.09 billon worth of exports (including civil aviation sales) in 2011. Targeting to increase its defence exports to $2 billion by 2016, the Turkish defence and aerospace sector pays great importance to the promotion of Turkish defence capabilities through the participation at international defence fairs. Exports are widely considered as a trigger for defence industrial development.
Contrary to the previous exhibitions, Turkey took part at Eurosatory 2012 with a National Pavilion for the first time. This could be considered as a clear sign of restoring bilateral relations between Turkey and France. Relations between the countries became strained under former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. His election defeat earlier this year was viewed in Ankara as a chance to start a new phase. France has already given green light to Turkey’s OCCAR membership and in June 2012, following their meeting during the UN Rio Summit, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan and new French President Francois Hollande agreed to turn new page after Sarkozy-era deterioration in relations, especially after Turkey had applied a series of sanctions on France following the French Senate’s approval last December of a bill criminalising the denial of so-called Armenian genocide claims for the events of 1915. Plus, in late June 2012, Turkey's Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, announced that leading French companies could apply to take part in the nuclear plant construction tender.
Eurosatory 2012 witnessed the participation of 12 Turkish defence companies plus IDEF Exhibition organiser TUYAP and SSI (Defence and Aerospace Industry Exporters’ Association). The Turkish companies displayed their latest products in Hall 6, and Oztiryakiler displayed its solutions in the outdoor area. As a result of lock of coordination and a last minute changes, the Turkish pavilion was divided into two separate areas: While FNSS, Gate Electronics, MKEK, MIKES, Sarsilmaz, SDT, and YDS displayed their solutions at stand C201 under the SSI umbrella, BMC, Otokar, Roketsan, and Oztek Textile have displayed their products at separate stands in Hall 6.
Turkey’s rockets and missiles centre of excellence Roketsan displayed mock-ups of CIRIT 2.75" semi-active laser (SAL) guided rocket, UMTAS long range and OMTAS medium range anti-tank guided missiles as well as 300mm, 122mm and 107mm unguided artillery rockets designed, developed and produced to meet both Turkish Army and foreign customers requirements. (Photo: DPM)
During Eurosatory, BMC displayed the 4x4 and 6x6 variants of its KIRPI MRAP at the stand. BMC currently continues the deliveries of KIRPI MRAPs to Turkish Army and showcased the 6x6 configuration of the vehicle for the first time at Eurosatory 2012. (Photo: DPM)
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