Turkish Defense Firms Sign Technology Localization Agreement for Akinci UCAV with Saudi Arabia

Turkish firms Aselsan, Baykar and Roketsan concluded signing of a Technology Localization Agreement with Saudi Arabia for the Bayraktar AKINCI combat drone Sunday.

President of the Presidency of Defense Industry Prof. Dr. Haluk Görgün, BAYKAR General Manager Haluk Bayraktar, Roketsan General Manager Murat Second and ASELSAN General Manager Ahmet Akyol attended the signing ceremony in Saudi Arabia.

Turkey’s Defense Industry Agency reported on these bilateral agreements.

Drone-maker Baykar said the $3.1 billion AKINCI deal with Riyadh is Turkey’s “biggest ever export contract”. The agreement was signed during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

As per the contract signed between Baykar and with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), Akinci UCAVs will be produced in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Roketsan signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia’s National Company for Mechanical Systems (NCMS) for the joint production of “smart munitions” and guidance technologies such as IIR Guided MAM-L, IIR Guided MAM-T and Hybrid Seeker MAM-T munitions.

Aselsan and NCMS agreed to localise production of electro-optical surveillance and targeting systems, guidance kits and guided ammunition used in Baykar’s drones.