Turkiye plans drone facility in Pakistan in global defense push: report

Turkiye plans to set up a facility in Pakistan to assemble combat drones, part of Ankara’s drive to boost its defense industry in international markets, according to Turkish officials familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported.

Talks over the project, which would see Turkiye export stealth and long-endurance drones to be put together in Pakistan, have advanced significantly since October, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

Turkiye’s Defense Ministry declined to comment. Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar didn’t respond to requests for a comment.

The discussions are part of Turkiye’s efforts to grow its defense industry, a strategy that underpins President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ambitions to strengthen his influence in the Middle East and further afield.

The country has announced deals this year, including an order by Indonesia for fighter planes, and has plans to supply more arms to Saudi Arabia and Syria.

Turkiye’s defense exports increased 30% in the first 11 months of this year to a record $7.5 billion, Haluk Gorgun, who heads the presidency’s defense-industry body, said on Thursday.

Turkiye has long-standing ties with Pakistan and is building corvette warships for its navy under a co-production deal, according to both countries. Turkiye has upgraded dozens of Pakistan’s F-16s and now wants Islamabad to join its Kaan fifth-generation fighter program, the people said.

Collaboration on the TF-X predates the latest developments. In 2022, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) officials, including CEO Temel Kotil, confirmed that Pakistan and Turkiye were jointly working on the next-generation fighter jet, with Pakistani institutions contributing research and design tasks through the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST). TAI opened its first office in Pakistan in 2019 to facilitate such cooperation.

Ankara and Islamabad have also stepped up collaboration in unmanned aerial vehicles. In 2021 and 2022, TAI signed agreements with Pakistan’s National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) to jointly produce components for the Anka UAV, with commitments for technology transfer and shared development. The Anka drone can stay aloft for over 24 hours at 30,000 feet with a payload capacity of 250kg.

Turkiye is also involved in a major but stalled $1.5-billion deal to supply Pakistan with 30 T-129 ATAK helicopters, manufactured by TAI under licence from AgustaWestland.

The potential new drone-assembly facility would mark another significant step in the countries’ defence partnership, giving Pakistan enhanced access to advanced UAV technology while supporting Turkiye’s export ambitions.

The fresh talks to bolster Pakistan’s military capabilities come in the wake of a ceasefire with India following a four-day military clash between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May.

Tensions are also high between Pakistan and Afghanistan, leading to a series of clashes, ever since Islamabad accused the Taliban of hosting militant groups that plan attacks on the country.