Turkish defense firms to attend fair in Chile

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s largest defense companies will showcase their products at another international fair, this time in Chile.

Aselsan, Aspilsan, Havelsan, Nurol, Otokar, Repkon, Roketsan, Tisaş, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ, and Canik will take part in the International Air and Space Fair (FIDAE), which will take place between April 5 and April 10 in Chile’s capital Santiago.

Representatives from the Defense Industry Exporters’ Association and the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) will also be present at the fair.

FIDAE is the foremost aerospace, defense and security exhibition in Latin America, recognized as the leading event in the region.

The fair in Chile is the third major international fair Turkish defense companies will attend since the start of the year.

Between March 21 and March 24, more than 30 local firms showcased their products at the three-day DIMDEX fair held in Qatar’s Doha, one of the world’s major defense events.

Later in the month, 32 companies and organizations attended the 17th Defense Service Asia Exhibition and Conference (DSA 2022) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from March 28 to March 31.

Turkey’s defense industry has grown fast over the past two decades in line with the government’s efforts aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on foreign countries in the defense field.

The total turnover of the local defense and aviation industry increased from $1.1 billion in 2002 to a record high of $10.9 billion in 2019.

The number of local defense projects carried out locally jumped from 66 20 years ago to 793 in 2021.

Turkey’s defense export revenues exceeded $3 billion in 2021, and this year they may be over $4 billion, SSB head İsmail Demir said in an interview with private broadcaster CNNTürk last month.