Turkey’s Havelsan to produce UAVs in Egypt – defenceWeb

Turkey’s Havelsan and Egypt’s state-owned Arab Organization for Industrialisation (AOI) have announced a partnership for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Havelsan on 27 August said the agreement covers the assembly and joint production of UAVs to meet the needs of Egypt and the African market by offering price-performance solutions suitable for the region.

“We are delighted to be working with a strong partner like AOI. This partnership will bring autonomous UAV technologies to the region, increase domestic production capacity, and enable us to enter the African market strongly,” said Havelsan General Manager Dr Mehmet Akif Nacar. “As a brand and strong player that offers reliable, effective, and innovative solutions on a global scale, we will continue to develop advanced technologies and add value to regional markets.”

Major General Engineer Mukhtar Abdullatif, President of the Arab Industrialisation Authority, stated that Havelsan’s experience in technology, combined with AOI’s production capabilities, will support Egypt’s defence and technology vision.

“This collaboration is a big step not only for production but also for technological independence and sustainable exports,” Abdullatif said.

Havelsan offers field-proven solutions with the Baha, Bulut and Bozbey unmanned aerial vehicles it has developed.

In its initial announcement, Havelsan included a video of its Baha fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing UAV, which entered service with the Turkish Armed Forces earlier this year. The electrically powered UAV has a maximum take-off weight of 28 kg with a 2 kg payload, a communications range of 50 km, and an endurance of up to 2 hours.

Established in 1982, Havelsan operates primarily active in the defence and IT sectors. Key areas of activity include Command, Control, Communication, Computer, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance systems (C4ISR); naval combat and combat management systems; simulation and training systems, including simulators for land, naval, and air platforms; homeland security and cyber security systems; e-government applications such as election systems, land registry, cadastral systems, and judiciary networks; management information systems; reconnaissance, surveillance, and intelligence systems; and logistics support and energy management systems.

Havelsan has developed a number of unmanned air, land, and sea systems, including the tracked Barkan unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) series and wheeled Kapgan UGV. Its Baha, Bozbey, and Bulut are fixed wing vertical takeoff and landing UAVs, while the Poyraz is a quadcopter. Unmanned surface vessels include the Sancar armed unmanned vessel and Caka submersible kamikaze vessel.

Havelsan exports its defence and simulation products internationally and is one of Turkey’s leading companies in both national and international defence markets. It provides services to armed forces, public and private sectors at home and abroad, and continues to expand its business globally, including in Africa.