• Home
  • Partners
  • Contact
  • Your news
Friday, February 22, 2019
Defence Blog
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Land
  • Air
  • Naval
  • Missiles
  • Security
  • Photo
  • News
  • About Us
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Land
  • Air
  • Naval
  • Missiles
  • Security
  • Photo
  • News
  • About Us
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Defence Blog

Turkey May Restart Missile Defense Program

Nov 24, 2014
in Missiles & Bombs, News
Turkey May Restart Missile Defense Program

(John Macdougall / Getty Images)

ANKARA — Turkey’s procurement bureaucracy is rethinking a multibillion dollar program to build the country’s first air and missile defense program, keeping “all options open,” including scrapping the existing competition and merging it with a longer-range program with better capabilities.

That contest has not yet been announced, but procurement officials say one option to overcome the deadlock could be to renew the program.

“There is a degree of uncertainty, which requires evaluating all existing options and waiting for a push from the government in one direction,” said one senior official familiar with the long-range air and missile defense program (T-LORAMIDS).

In September 2013, Turkey selected China Precision Machinery Import Export Corp. (CPMIEC) to build the system. The Chinese company offered a $3.44 billion solution. The firm defeated a US partnership of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, offering the Patriot air defense system; Russia’s Rosoboronexport, marketing the S-300; and Italian-French consortium Eurosam, maker of the Aster 30.

Turkish officials said if contract negotiations with CPMIEC fail, talks would be opened with the second place finisher, Eurosam. Next in line would be the US bidder. The Russian option was eliminated.

This summer, Turkey extended for the fifth time the deadline for all three bidders. Turkey’s procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), said on Aug. 26 that the Aug. 31 deadline would be pushed to Dec. 31. But while talks with CPMIEC are officially proceeding, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said early in September that parallel talks with Eurosam also had been opened.

“Some disagreements have emerged with China on the issues of joint production and technology transfer ,” Erdogan said on Sept. 7. “Talks are continuing despite that, but France, which is second on the list, has come up with a new offer. We are holding ongoing talks with France. Here, joint production is important to us.”

A government procurement official added that the talks with the Chinese “are not making any progress. … Talks with the European contender look more promising, but the top management [at SSM] is also considering to rewrite the entire program.”

An official from the program’s local prime contractor, defense electronics specialist Aselsan, said Turkey could scrap T-LORAMIDS and instead launch a new program based on its planned, advanced version, T-LORAMIDS+, which is a Turkish aspiration of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense program. That US Army anti-ballistic missile system is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill approach.

“One idea could be to co-develop T-LORAMIDS+ with the Europeans as a longer-term solution and lease some of their systems as a bridge gap solution,” the Aselsan official said.

Although the Aster is not the Turkish military’s favored solution, the government leans toward Eurosam, a prime ministerial aide said. “There are differences of opinion between the end user and the government,” he said. “But of course the final decision will be made by the government. We want to find a solution to make everyone happy.”

Meanwhile, the US contenders are silently waiting to get into the picture, with no clear sign of success so far. But “if we decide to go for a renewed contract, the competition will start over with all contenders standing on equal footing,” the procurement official said.

Recently, Lockheed and Roketsan signed a deal to produce the Turkish state-controlled company’s SOM-J cruise missile for the international F-35 fighter. The agreement, signed here, involves development, production, marketing, selling and supporting the SOM-J for internal carriage on the F-35 or external carriage on other aircraft.

The SOM system is an autonomous, long-range, high-precision air-to-surface cruise missile. Industry sources said the deal comes as part of Turkish industry participation in the JSF program. Turkey plans to buy 100 F-35s.

The government has come under increased pressure from NATO allies to rethink the decision to work with CPMIEC. This year, Turkey’s Western allies warned that if Turkey finalized the deal, its entire defense cooperation with Western counterparts, including defense and non-defense firms, could be jeopardized.

The Turkish program consists of radar, launcher and interceptor missiles. It has been designed to counter enemy aircraft and missiles. Turkey has no long-range air defense systems.

About half of Turkey’s network-based air defense picture has been paid for by NATO. The country is part of NATO’s Air Defense Ground Environment. Without NATO’s consent, it will be impossible for Turkey to make the planned Chinese system operable with these assets, some analysts say. ■

www.defensenews.com

Tags: Turkey

Related Posts

Turkey expects to receive first Russian-made S-400s this year
Army

Turkey expects to receive first Russian-made S-400s this year

2019/02/09
Kurds protesters storm Turkish military camp in North Iraq
Army

Kurds protesters storm Turkish military camp in North Iraq

2019/01/26
Ukraine orders Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles
Aviation

Ukraine orders Turkish unmanned combat aerial vehicles

2019/01/12
Syria troops take control of Manbij in the face of Turkish threats
Army

Syria troops take control of Manbij in the face of Turkish threats

2018/12/28
U.S. State Department approves sale of Patriot missile system to Turkey
Army

U.S. State Department approves sale of Patriot missile system to Turkey

2018/12/20
Philippines Air Force chooses Turkish-made T129 attack helicopter
Aviation

Philippines Air Force chooses Turkish-made T129 attack helicopter

2018/12/08

Most Read

Source: Israeli F-35 destroyed Chinese-made radar during airstrikes in Syria

Turkey May Restart Missile Defense Program

Lockheed Martin unveils new F-21 fighter aircraft at Aero India 2019

All Russian-made S-400 missiles sent to China have been destroyed

F-35A opposed the most advanced weapons systems during exercise Red Flag 19-1

More Headlines

Science Technology launches program to develop heave unmanned bomber
Aviation

Science Technology launches program to develop heave unmanned bomber

2019/02/22

Science Technology-led defense industry team has revealed details of new long-range, heavy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), also known as an unmanned bomber, during the IDEX 2019 exhibition...

Read more

Lithuania receives additional missiles for Javelin anti-tank weapon systems

NATO forces prepares for War in extreme cold weather conditions

F-35A opposed the most advanced weapons systems during exercise Red Flag 19-1

Ukrainian transport aircraft wowing the crowd with impressive maneuvers at Aero India 2019

Source: Israeli F-35 destroyed Chinese-made radar during airstrikes in Syria

Russia releases video of nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle trials

Ukraine announces mass production of new rocket launchers

  • Got a news tip for our reporters?
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • Found a typo? Please let us know!
Privacy and Cookie Policy

© 2014 - 2019 The Defence Blog

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • ALL NEWS
    • Army
    • Aviation
    • Maritime Security
    • Missiles & Bombs
    • Defense & Security
    • PRESS RELEASES
  • Photo
  • Video
  • Contact page

© 2014 - 2019 The Defence Blog

By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.