Turkey will spend up to $8 billion in defense purchases in 2016 3007124

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Defense News - India
 
 
Monday, July 30, 2012, 10:18 AM
 
Turkey will spend up to $8 billion in defense purchases in 2016.
Turkey will spend up to $8 billion in defense purchases as its exports will reach $2 billion in 2016, four years from now, according to a major estimation by the procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM).
     
Turkey will spend up to $8 billion in defense purchases as its exports will reach $2 billion in 2016, four years from now, according to a major estimation by the procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM).
The Turkish main battle tank project Altay at the Defence Exhibition in Turkey. (Archive image)
     

The expectations in the SSM’s updated 2012-2016 strategic program are realistic given the money Turkey would pay for expensive systems – such as the F-35s or the U-214 submarines from Germany – over the next few years, as well as the rapid increase in its exports mainly to Islamic countries, according to one defense analyst.

Turkey is in talks with four key foreign suppliers on a $4 billion Long Range Air and Missile Defense Systems project.

The country’s mainly exports armored vehicles of many sorts, rockets and other ammunition, as well as military electronics like radios, to more than 10 Islamic countries. It also sells aviation equipment as part of offset deals.

Turkey has also launched a projectin 2005 for the development and the manufacture of a new battle tank, the "Altay". The tank is currently in the detailed design phase which is planned to take about 30 months. The first prototype is expected to be ready by 2015.

Turkey intends to build 250 Altay MBTs initially, and ultimately produce 1,000 new tanks in four separate lots of 250 units. Altay will incorporate the most modern features of a main battle tank.