Aselsan signs business partnership with Roketsan and Tübitak Sage
Aselsan, Roketsan and Tübitak Sage (i.e. Defence Industries Research and Development Institute) signed a business partnership to implement the long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system commissioned by Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM). According to news reports, Aselsan’s share under the partnership would be U$227 million and $342 million with deliveries to begin in 2021. This follows the SSM awarding a contract on 5 January to Aselsan, Roketsan and the Eurosam Consortium to jointly undertake a definition study for Turkey’s national long-range SAM programme within 18 months.
The Turkish long-range SAM is expected to interoperate with NATO’s air defence umbrella and equip the Turkish Navy’s future anti-air warfare (AAW) frigate, the TF-2000. The Turkish-French-Italian partnership is also hopeful of exporting the long-range SAM programme to third-party states.
Aselsan and Roketsan are also developing a short and medium-range SAM system platform – the HISAR-A and HISAR-O, which have ranges of 15km and 25km, respectively. HISAR use solid-propellant dual-pulse rockets with mid-course inertial navigation systems and terminal-stage imaging infrared seekers.
Turkey is expected to use the HISAR in concert with its KORKUT self-propelled anti-air gun (SPAAG), a very short-range air defence system (V-SHORAD), which uses three twin 35mm cannons paired to a command and control vehicle. KORKUT SPAAG entered production for the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in 2017.
Pairing the KORKUT to the HISAR and Aselsan Mobile Search Radar, an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar with an instrumented range of 70+km, could yield a robust and mobile low-level air defence suite. The first set of Turkish Army KORKUT systems are scheduled for delivery in May 2018.
Aselsan sub-contracted FNSS to produce its Armoured Combat Vehicle 30 (ACV-30) platform, which was designed for KORKUT and HISAR-A. The FNSS ACV-30 also serves as the KORKUT’s C2 vehicle.
In December 2017, Aselsan signed a $413.27 million deal with the SSM to supply a short-range, low-altitude air defence system to the Turkish Armed Forces. Deliveries will take place in 2019-2022.
In terms of long-range SAM systems, Turkey also signed a deal with Russia for the S-400 in 2017. The $2.5 billion purchase includes one S-400 system along with an option for a second system. In addition to a down-payment from Ankara, the deal is also being backed by a loan from Moscow.
