Central Asian drones: land of opportunity or saturated market?
Kazakhstan is locally producing Turkish Aerospace Industries' Anka UAV. (Photo: TAI)
As Central Asian countries have bolstered their UAV fleets, states have been keen to localise production (and in some cases cut ties with Russia) through deals with Turkey, Iran and Belarus.
Signs of a drone race in Central Asia are nothing new, as the region has represented a land of opportunities for foreign manufacturers, including China, Israel, Belarus, Turkey and Russia, for some time now.
However, with the war in Ukraine, the localisation of technology is a growing trend as players seek to gain regional superiority in the field of UAS.
This pattern was illustrated when in May 2022, Turkey first reported that it would begin co-producing its Anka drones with Kazakhstan at a production facility to be built in Astana, and less than a week later, Iran unveiled a new
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 1 free story per week
- Personalised news alerts
- Daily and weekly newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from IDEX and NAVDEX 2023 | View all news
-
![Gulf States continue to forge defence industry partnerships, boosting autonomy and economic diversification]()
Gulf States continue to forge defence industry partnerships, boosting autonomy and economic diversification
Gulf states are shoring up their defence industrial bases and forging deeper partnerships with traditional Western primes.
-
![IDEX 2023: Autel Robotics showcases DJI challenger drone]()
IDEX 2023: Autel Robotics showcases DJI challenger drone
Autel Robotics presented its Dragonfish series and EVO Max 4T at IDEX 2023, hoping to challenge DJI's market dominance with the latter.
-
![IDEX 2023: Lacroix tightens UAE bonds with joint venture agreement]()
IDEX 2023: Lacroix tightens UAE bonds with joint venture agreement
Lacroix forged an agreement for UAE manufacturing at the Emirati show and showcased its latest vehicle self-protection system.
-
![IDEX 2023: Saab showcases new laser warning sensor for vehicle self-protection]()
IDEX 2023: Saab showcases new laser warning sensor for vehicle self-protection
At the Emirati show, Saab showcased a range of vehicle self-protection and countermeasure solutions.
-
![NAVDEX 2023: DSIT to supply ASW kit for undisclosed NATO navy]()
NAVDEX 2023: DSIT to supply ASW kit for undisclosed NATO navy
DSIT, a subsidiary of Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, has been selected by a European shipyard to equip a NATO navy with its anti-submarine warfare solutions.
-
![IDEX 2023: Guardiaris partners with KRMC to bring innovative training to Saudi Arabia]()
IDEX 2023: Guardiaris partners with KRMC to bring innovative training to Saudi Arabia
The partnership between Guardiaris and KRMC aims to provide high quality training solutions to clients in the Middle East and further advance the defence industry in Saudi Arabia.
