News Flash- Turkey cancels attack helo, tank, and drone projects!

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Date Posted: 14-May-2004

JANE’S DEFENCE WEEKLY – MAY 19, 2004

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Turkey cancels attack helicopter, tank and drone projects
LALE SARIIBRAHIMOGLU JDW Correspondent
Ankara

Turkey announced on 14 May that it is cancelling three long-delayed multi-billion-dollar programmes, including the procurement of Bell Helicopter-Textron AH-1Z King Cobra attack helicopters (JDW 31 March).

A written statement distributed to the press after a four-hour meeting of the Executive Committee of the Turkish Defence Industries Undersecretariat (SSM), the government’s senior procurement decision-making body, said that co-production of 50 attack helicopters would not proceed.

It also said that the local production of 1,000 new-generation main battle tanks and the purchase of unmanned aerial vehicles were cancelled.

“New requests for proposals with an emphasis on new procurement models based on higher local industrialisation will be issued,” said the statement.

All three projects have been under negotiation for more than four years.

Turkey stated earlier it might cancel the attack helicopter project as Ankara was not satisfied with the level of technology transfer despite increased involvement of Turkish industry in Northrop Grumman’s last-minute offer centred on the helicopter’s mission computers.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen Hilmi Özkök and Defence Minister Vecdi Gönül participated in the committee meeting.

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