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Aselsan signs $44 m sale of communications equipment to Ukraine

The Turkish electronics company Aselsan has signed a $43.6 million U.S. agreement for the sale of its communications systems to Ukraine’s state-owned defence conglomerate UkrOboronProm.

As per Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu Agency, Aselsan announced the sale on October 10. The company expects to begin deliveries in 2018.

In May, Aselsan announced that it was looking to secure a contract to supply very high frequency (VHF) radios to the Ukrainian armed forces. Ukraine issued a tender in 2016 for the contract, which could see up to 600 VHF systems being bought.

Kiev and Istanbul began undertaking serious steps to strengthening bilateral defence industry relations in 2016. During the 2017 International Defence Industry Fair, which took place in Istanbul in May, UkroBoronProm signed a memorandum-of-understanding (MoU) with Aselsan to source an avionics suite for the Antonov An-158 airliner and An-178 military transport aircraft.

Anadolu Agency reports that UkrOboronProm also expressed interest in collaborating with Turkey in various other fields. These include an MoU with Havelsan to collaborate in joint radar production. It also signed a MoU with Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) to collaborate in joint radar production and “development and production of aircraft and composite materials.”

Ukraine has been seeking overseas partners to help it revive and/or secure many of its defence programs, which have been in standstill due to insufficient state funding.

Kiev has committed to changing this issue by undertaking a military re-armament effort wherein it aims to “bring [Ukrainian] weapons to the level of the 21st century.” Foreign sales and partnerships are integral this effort, as evidenced in Ukraine’s new T-72AMT, which incorporates a radio suite from Aselsan. Other partners include Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, which have bought into Ukrainian aviation and armour solutions, respectively.

Likewise, Aselsan’s products, notably its line of software defined radios, have also made in-roads in the Saudi and Pakistani markets. The Turkish and Ukrainian industries share common markets, which may provide incentive for collaboration as well.

 

author avatar
Bilal Khan Founder
Founder of Quwa, Bilal has been researching Pakistani defence industry and security issues for over 15 years. His work has been cited by Pakistan's National Defence University (NDU), the Council of Foreign Relations, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Centre of Airpower Studies and many others. He has a Hons. B.A in Political Science and Masters of Interntional Public Policy from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
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2 Comments

  • by Shafiq Ahmed
    Posted October 11, 2017 9:54 am 0Likes

    Long Live Turkey
    Long Live Great Turk Brothers

  • by Є ТЬ
    Posted October 15, 2017 3:51 pm 0Likes

    It is very-very good news for Ukraine due this agreement lasted for long time.
    During war with “bigger NOT brother” each day it is lost lifes.

    I hope relation will evolve in proper way for both countries prosperety.

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