Defense firms ink int’l deals worth over $1.5 bln in 2 months

ANKARA

Haluk Görgün made statements at the BMC Ankara armored vehicle production facility in Kahramankazan district

Turkish defense companies signed international deals worth more than $1.5 billion in the first two months of 2025, says Haluk Görgün, head of the Defense Industry Agency (SSB).

“[The defense industry’s] deliveries in the Jan. 1 – Feb. 28 period was $484 million. This year, the figure for Jan. 1 – Feb. 24 was $650 million, an increase of around 34 percent,” Görgün noted.

In the last two years, Turkish defense companies have signed international contracts worth $20 billion, he said.

The number of companies operating in the local defense industry has exceeded 3,500, with ongoing projects over 1,100 and the volume of those projects at around $100 billion, according to Görgün.

Turkish defense products were exported to 183 countries last year.

Türkiye’s defense and aerospace industry reached a record $7.2 billion in exports in 2024, a 29 percent surge from the previous year.

Türkiye ranks 11th among global defense exporters.

Over 4,500 land vehicles were delivered to 40 countries and 140 naval platforms reached more than 10 nations.

Also, 770 UAVs and UCAVs were sent to over 50 countries, while three nations received Turkish-built corvettes.

Görgün also stressed that most of the suppliers in the defense industry are small and medium-sized enterprises.

Roketsan works with approximately 650 suppliers in the (anti-missile) Atmaca Project and with over 330 subcontractors in the (missile system) Tayfun Project, he detailed.

Görgün also announced that Türkiye's locally produced Altay main battle tank will enter the Turkish army’s inventory in 2025,

"This year, as promised, we will be delivering our first mass-produced tanks to our heroic army. Our current plans are to open our facility in August and to start and continue the process for the production of all our armored vehicles," he said.

“After delivering three ALTAY tanks in 2025, we will deliver a total of 85 tanks in the T1 configuration; 11 next year, then 41 and 30 the following year," he added.

He also said that a total of 165 tanks will be delivered in 2028.

Meanwhile, defense company FNSS has announced that it has secured a contract for the Turkish Land Forces' new-generation armored vehicles program for the serial production of PARS ALPHA 8x8 and 6x6 variants.

The total number of vehicles for this initial order will be 25 vehicles, the company said.

The land forces are planning to acquire over 2,000 vehicles with additional orders and the number of PARS ALPHA vehicles is expected to expand over time, it added.