Akinci’s first and Bayraktar TB2’s 16th export contract was signed. Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar said that it will be in the top 10 in defense exports in 5 years.
The Turkish defense industry, which has increased its export performance in recent years and aims to be among the top 10 in the world within 5 years, has also signed the first export contract of Bayraktar Akinci Attack Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TIHA), one of the newest products. Defense, Aerospace and Space Cluster Association SAHA Istanbul Chairman of the Board and Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar pointed out that the defense and aerospace industry broke a record by exceeding $3 billion for the first time in 2021 and reached $3.22 billion.
TARGET IS TOP 10
Stating that the sector’s exports have increased exponentially in the last 15 years on a dollar basis, Bayraktar said, “Our export volume in the defense and aerospace sector has grown approximately 7 times in dollar terms from 2006 to 2021. The total of Turkey’s defense and aerospace exports is at the level of 1% of the world’s defense exports.” Stating that the main goal of the sector is to increase its market share on a world scale and to be among the top 10 exporting countries, Bayraktar said, “If the export volume continues to develop with this trend, we will be among the top 10 countries in defense exports within 5 years.” Bayraktar emphasized that thanks to the steps and efforts taken towards the development of national and original UAVs 20 years ago, the needs of the country were met with a record rate of domestic industry participation, and now this technology is exported to the world. Bayraktar, who stated that export contracts were signed with 16 countries for Bayraktar TB2 SIHAs, which successfully passed 420 thousand flight hours, said, “We have also completed the first export contract of Bayraktar Akinci TIHA. Within the scope of the contract, we will deliver Bayraktar Akinci TIHA and ground systems within 2023. Thanks to its export revenues, it creates a research and development resource for platforms such as the high-tech unmanned fighter aircraft MIUS (Combat Unmanned Aircraft System) and Bayraktar TB3.”
EXPORT TO 169 COUNTRIES
Drawing attention to the rapid development of the industry in recent years, Haluk Bayraktar made the following assessments: “Not so many years ago, we were an industry that looked like a contract manufacturer. Now, we export value-added products developed by our industry, such as armored vehicles, aircraft, naval platforms, ammunition, UAVs and SIHAs, whose intellectual and industrial rights belong to itself, to 169 countries of the world, including NATO and European Union member countries. For this reason, we are trying to establish our route and target with a national focus.”
THEY DID NOT EVEN GIVE IT IF YOU PAYED FOR IT
BAYKAR Defense Technical Manager and T3 Foundation Chairman of the Board of Trustees Selcuk Bayraktar made a statement on his social media account, “Just 13 years ago, they did not even give SIHAs even if with money. Today, we develop our SIHAs, which are considered the best in the world, with a record local rate and offer them to our country. We signed Akinci’s first and Bayraktar TB2’s 16th export contract. Baykar, which has been carrying out all its projects with its own resources since the beginning, generates more than 85% of its revenues from exports.”
Source: Sabah / Translated by Irem Yildiz