Turkey awards missile system study contract
Turkey has awarded a contract to Eurosam, Aselsan and Roketsan to jointly conduct a definition study of Turkey's future long-range air and missile defence system, Eurosam announced on 5 January.
The 18-month definition study aims to prepare the development and production contract for the future system meeting the operational requirements of the Turkish Air Force.
The contract follows on from the Heads of Agreement signed by industry on 14 July 2017 and the Letter Of Intent signed by the French, Italian and Turkish defence ministers on 8 November 2017.
This definition study paves the way for the launch of a three-country joint Long Range Air and Missile Defence programme. The future system is expected be ready by the middle of the next decade with the ability to counter threats such as stealth aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
The system is expected to meet three countries’ basic operational needs and will guarantee Turkey has full employment autonomy and will allow a sovereign choice of integration level within NATO. The joint development activity is expected to support Turkey’s indigeneous air and missile development programme in addition to opening up prospects for exports and longer-term cooperation of Turkey, Italy and France.
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