Turkish firm in $10m electronics deal with UAE navy

Turkey's Gate Elektronix yesterday said it was signing a $10-million contract with the UAE Navy for supply of electronic tracking system. Meanwhile, another Turkish firm, FNSS, has completed delivery of the last of the 130 plus armoured vehicles units contracted for by the UAE Land Forces. The last was delivered in January.

"We are signing the contract very soon. A few small things have to be finalised," said Turgay Maleri, president, Gate Electronix. The electronic tracking system, Gatelog Vehicle Tracking System provides on-screen display, can track vehicles on the internet and can find faults on electronic systems automatically.

The original contract for the armoured vehicles was signed in 1997 and was valued at more than $50 million, one of the highest for Turkish armaments exports. The UAE had contracted FNSS for its armoured recovery, engineering squad, artillery forward observation and command post vehicle requirements.

"We are now marketing our vehicles to a couple of other Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia. The UAE deal has given us the necessary exposure that we needed in these markets," said Hasan Basoglu, project sales manager with the marketing department of FNSS.

Malaysia is another to have placed a major order with FNSS. Meanwhile, a senior Turkish Defence Ministry official also commented that the present economic crisis in the country may delay the awarding of major contracts which are in the pipeline.

Tukey was expected to make a major announcement regarding its main battle tank requirements in coming weeks. Now this might be delayed to some time during the summer, the official added.

The said contract is valued at over $6 billion and companies from the U.S., France and Ukraine are in the running. "The crisis has affected all industries and defence is no exception. But as for the projects that are already awarded, there will not be any delay or cancellation."

The country is evaluating its early warning aircraft programme, with Boeing and Raytheon in the running. Another project that is in a relatively advanced stage is for mine hunting vessels in partnership with Germany. Apart from the initial production in Germany, five will be made in Turkey itself.

"We will overcome the financial situation. It is only over the last five years that our defence industry has seriously looked at the export potential. "The Gulf states are obviously our main export targets, as is Pakistan and the Far East," the ministry official added.