(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Turkey has agreed to supply Egypt with its renowned drones as both Islamic nations seek to strengthen their diplomatic ties, which has been upgraded from normalisation to strategic.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit Egypt on February 14 to meet his counterpart, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in a mission to thaw previously chilly relations.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, stated that during Erdogan’s stay in Cairo, the two leaders will discuss various bilateral topics, including trade, energy, and security issues.
Fidan emphasized the significance of normalizing bilateral relations between Turkey and Egypt to enable Cairo to access certain technologies.
“We have an agreement to supply Egypt with unmanned aerial vehicle systems and other technologies,” he said in an interview with Turkey’s A Haber television station, without providing further details on the agreement with Egypt.
The demand for Turkish-made drones from companies such as Baykar Technology has surged following their demonstrated performance in conflicts in Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria, and Ukraine in recent years.
Last year, Saudi Arabia was reportedly set to spend $3 billion to acquire the Baykar Technology-produced “Akinci” Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle system.
The purchase of the Akinci MALE drone by Saudi Arabia represents the largest defense contract in Turkey’s history.
While Baykar Technology has exported its Bayraktar TB2 drones to 30 countries worldwide, the Akinci drone has so far been successfully sold to the Turkish military, Pakistan, and Libya.
Saudi Arabia will be the fourth country to acquire the Akinci drone.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, previously stated on his Twitter account that the acquisition of Turkish-made drones is aimed at enhancing the readiness of its military and the country’s weapon manufacturing capabilities.
The Akinci drone can be equipped with various sensor and electronic systems, including electro-optic/infrared/laser designation (EO/IR/LD) sensors, multi-mode active radar Electronically Scanned Array (AESA), and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) systems.
With this equipment, the Akinci drone is highly capable of effectively conducting Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
In addition to ISR tasks, the Akinci drone can carry a payload of approximately 1.5 tons, including bombs and guided missiles.
Apart from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait has also become the 28th country globally to purchase Turkey’s renowned combat drones, Bayraktar TB2, proven effective in various conflicts.
Besides Kuwait, the Bayraktar TB2 drone has attracted interest from several other regional countries.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is reported to be spending around $2 billion in negotiations with Turkey to acquire 120 “Bayraktar TB2” drones and various other supporting components.
The acquisition includes not only 120 Bayraktar TB2 drones but also weapon systems, control and command centers, and training for operating the drones developed by Baykar Technology.
Sources suggest that the price of a Turkish-made drone is approximately $5 million (excluding weapon systems). — DSA
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