On 13 February, the Government of Pakistan and the Government of Türkiye signed 24 memorandum-of-understanding (MoU) agreements in a wide range of fields, from trade to energy development to defence.
In terms of defence, the most notable agreements included an MoU for cooperating on air force-related electronic warfare (EW) as well as an MoU between Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) and Pakistan’s Naval Research and Development Institute (NRDI).
Overall, it is unclear how much deal-making progress – if any – the MoUs represent, but these two deals could be a reflection of several ongoing Pakistani defence programs.
It is worth noting that the Turkish industry had supported Pakistan with original project work in the recent past. MilSOFT, for example, helped Pakistan develop its Link Green data-link system based on the Naval Information Exchange System (NIXS) platform. In addition, ASFAT A.Ş. helped NRDI design the Jinnah-class frigate for the PN.
There are several advantages to developing an original ASOJ platform. First, it would help the PAF with controlling the cost and deciding the exact subsystems and inputs to go into the platform. Second, the PAF would own the intellectual property (IP), allowing it to freely configure additional aircraft with the ASOJ suite in the future. Third, it would allow the PAF to closely involve local industry players, especially NASTP, into the work and give them more valuable design and integration experience.
Finally, the PAF’s general procurement trajectory has been to favour original projects across sensors, EW systems, and munitions. While an original ASOJ platform may be the most complex application, it is not beyond the realm of the PAF’s own vision, which now includes developing a homegrown airborne early warning (AEW) system.
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