Defense, Aerospace and Space Cluster Association SAHA Istanbul Chairman of the Board and Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar evaluated the performance of the sector in 2021 to AA correspondent.
Stating that Turkey is facing the positive outcomes of its vision of nationalization step by step from year to year, Bayraktar emphasized that the biggest success of the sector this year is the increase in exports realized with this vision.
Pointing out that the defense and aerospace industry broke a record by exceeding 3 billion dollars for the first time in 2021 and exported 3.22 billion dollars, Bayraktar said:
“The important point here is the development of domestic added value in the export composition, increasing year by year. Just as a strong and independent defense industry is indispensable for Turkey, it is also an important goal to strengthen defense and aviation exports in geographies with which we have strategic relations with friendly and allied countries. Beyond providing an economic gain, defense exports also provide a suitable basis for establishing strategic relations with the countries to which you export and for the development of all kinds of commercial and social activities with these countries. Therefore, it is of critical importance that the export volume of the sector is effective and sustainable.”
Focus on exports, target 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. This is a really great success. The total of Turkey’s defense and aerospace exports exceeds the world’s defense exports. “It is about 1% of the total. Currently, 75 percent of the total exports in this field are realized by the USA, Russia, France, Germany and China.” said.
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. Added value per kilogram that high technology exports will provide. It is among the priorities of a fully independent and prosperous Turkey. Turkey, which has reduced its defense imports by 60 percent today, will reach an important point in the short and medium term with export-oriented works, based on the increasing number of companies and projects in our sector.” used the phrases.
Haluk Bayraktar said that as SAHA Istanbul, they are trying to develop and produce the main platform, subsystem and critical components nationally with 704 companies and export them. Stating that they carry out 6 UR-GE Projects within the scope of the technical committees established for this purpose, Bayraktar said, “In this context, we have supported the production of demand for the products of 76 of our companies abroad and increase their competitiveness. In 2021, nearly 100 foreign companies participated and this year 25-28 We will continue to ensure that domestic manufacturers meet with foreign companies, military and civilian procurement committees with our SAHA EXPO 2022 fair, which we will hold on October. he said.
– National UAVs, the shining star of exports
Bayraktar emphasized that when we look at this development and growth process from the focus of national UAVs, thanks to the steps and efforts to develop 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 stated that export contracts were signed with 16 countries for Bayraktar TB2 SİHAs, which successfully completed 420 thousand flight hours, and continued as follows:
“We have also completed the first export contract of Bayraktar Akıncı TİHA. Within the scope of the contract, we will deliver Bayraktar Akıncı TİHA and ground systems in 2023. Baykar, which carries out all its projects with its own resources from the R&D stage, generates more than 85% of its revenues from exports. Thanks to these export revenues, it creates research and development resources for platforms such as the high-tech unmanned fighter aircraft MIUS (Combat Unmanned Aircraft System) and Bayraktar TB3.
The example of Baykar describes a journey in which many large and small companies of the sector took a role in the export process. Thanks to Baykar’s exports, the products developed by more than 1000 local suppliers we work with are also exported. Thus, the defense and aerospace ecosystem achieves a collective export success. On the one hand, Turkey is developing value-added strategic products. On the other hand, the added value of exports is increasing year by year.
– Turkish products in 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, value-added products developed by our industry, such as armored vehicles, aircraft, naval platforms, ammunition, UAVs and SİHAs, whose intellectual and industrial rights belong to itself, are among NATO and the European Union. We export to 169 countries of the world, including its member countries.
“Therefore, we strive to establish our route and target with a national focus. We must increase the rate of national production in critical subsystems and components as well as the main platforms developed. With the increase in the number of localized products instead of products subject to export license, our industry will grow and the overall Its share in export data will also increase. This will contribute positively to the welfare level of our country.”
– Technology transfer to civilian area
Stating that the defense and aerospace industry has led to the introduction of many inventions and technologies that make life easier in the field of internet, GPS and medicine all over the world, Bayraktar stated that the development in these sectors heralds that technological solutions will take place more in daily life in the near future. Bayraktar, “For example, the UAVs used for the early detection of forest fires today may have an active role in extinguishing these fires in the future with the studies to be done.” said.
Bayraktar, who also gave information about his work to meet the need for qualified people in the sector, said that he would support Turkey to keep those who want to work in this field, since defense and aviation are areas where high technology is developed and large projects are carried out.
Stating that the execution of large-scale high-tech projects is very important in terms of training qualified human resources, Bayraktar said:
“Thus, the capabilities of our human resources pool are increasing day by day. Another important point is to focus on R&D projects and design processes. Turkey is constantly advancing in this area. Today, projects are being produced in 92 technology regions and 1254 R&D and 338 design centers. The number of these centers is And as the number of qualified personnel employed in these areas increases, we will get closer to being a technology-developing Turkey.”
● https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/ekonomi/akinci-tiha-da-katildi-savunma-sanayisi-ihracatta-yuksekten-ucuyor/2482865#
