On-target: Turkish defense firm Roketsan aims export breakthrough

Turkish defense company Roketsan, the manufacturer of the country’s national ammunition – some of which are used on world-renowned combat drone Bayraktar TB2 – is taking firm steps toward its export targets, the company head said

Roketsan has made a rapid entry among the world’s top 100 defense industry companies and the biggest factor behind this success was the increase in exports, General Manager Murat Ikinci told Anadolu Agency (AA) at the International Defence Industry Salon (MSPO 2022), the biggest military fair of Central and Eastern Europe, hosted by Kielce, Poland.

Various Turkish defense companies participate in the fair under the coordination of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB) and with the support of the Defense and Aviation Industry Exporters’ Association (SSI).

Indicating that the share of the company’s exports in its total revenues exceeded 30%, Ikinci said that their goal is to quickly enable this to reach 50%.

“We consider that we will achieve this in a very short time with the breakthrough we have made these days,” he said.

Particularly, Roketsan’s guided and high-tech products will provide a very serious export potential in the world and make a very serious contribution to growth, he said, noting that the year 2022 has been much better for them than they expected in terms of exports.

Commenting on the defense fair, Ikinci said that Poland, as a NATO ally, is one of the countries where Türkiye’s friendly relations are progressing very rapidly and cooperation, especially in the field of defense, has great potential.

“Thanks to the accelerating bilateral relations at the diplomatic level under the leadership of our president, there is very serious potential for cooperation in the defense industry,” the Roketsan official said.

“As Roketsan, we see Poland not only as a market but also as a European and NATO ally with which we can cooperate,” Ikinci went on to say, adding that they have signed a defense cooperation agreement as part of the fair.

“With this agreement, a defense cooperation protocol was implemented between the Polish Ministry of Defense and Roketsan,” he said.

Ikinci noted that Roketsan’s smart ammunitions that are used on unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), including the Bayraktar TB2 that Poland has also purchased, are among the products that attract great attention.

“Our artillery systems 122, 230, 300 and our Khan/Bora missile are products that Poland is interested in,” he added.

Expressing that the main weapon systems of the UCAVs developed within the Turkish defense industry are produced by Roketsan, Ikinci stated that they have increased the production capacity in this area depending on UCAV exports.

“With our new infrastructure that we will implement and open next year, we will come to a stage where we will use this potential very quickly. At the moment, we do not have any problems with the delivery and production of products. However, the market is growing very fast. Especially our export market is growing very fast,” he said.