Aselsan keeps its place among top 50 defense companies

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s top defense company Aselsan has been placed 48th in Defense News Top 100 list for 2020 with $2.2 billion in revenues.

The prestigious American magazine compiles the list in accordance with companies’ annual defense revenues.

Aselsan increased its defense revenues by 2 percent year-on-year in 2020, according to Defense News.

U.S. companies Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies, Boeing, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamic topped the list with annual defense revenues of $62.5 billion, $42 billion, $32.4 billion, $31.4 billion and $29.8 billion, respectively.

Aviation Industry Corporation of China ($25.4 billion) and British defense giant BAE Systems ($23.5 billion) followed them.

Turkish Aerospace Industries ($1.2 billion) ranked 68th, down from 53rd in 2019.

In the previous year, five other Turkish companies - BMC, Roketsan, STM, FNSS and Havelsan - also entered the top 100 list.

Aselsan CEO Haluk Görgün said in a written statement that Aselsan continued its activities uninterruptedly despite the coronavirus pandemic last year.

The company struck export deals with counterparts in six foreign countries in 2020, he added.

“As the locomotive company of our domestic and national defense industry, our turnover rose 24 percent year-on-year to 16 billion Turkish Liras,” Görgün said.

Turkey’s defense and aerospace industry exports racked up $2.3 billion in 2020.

The sector’s exports declined 16.8 percent compared to 2019, according to data from the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TİM).

Turkish defense and aerospace industry’s share in the country’s total exports was 1.3 percent, while the value of the sector’s export products per kilogram amounted to some $48.

The United States was the top export market of the aviation and defense industry sectors with $784.2 million in 2020, down 4 percent from a year earlier. It was followed by Azerbaijan, with exports worth $260.8 million, up 194 percent compared to 2019.

Additionally, Turkey’s exports to the United Arab Emirates in the defense and aviation industry posted the third-most significant increase with 51 percent, reaching over $200.2 million.

(HH) Indigenous technology

Strategic developments have also taken place in 2020, particularly in the field of production of indigenous aviation engines.

The first national helicopter engine TEI-TS1400, as well as Turkey’s first domestic and national aviation turbodiesel engine TEI-PD170’s, were delivered to TAI for use in unmanned aerial vehicles.

The first P-72 Naval Patrol Aircraft in the MELTEM-3 Project was handed over to the Naval Forces Command.

Karakulak High-Frequency Estimation and Listening System developed by Aselsan entered the Turkish Armed Forces inventory for the first time.

Turkey’s first national armed drone device, Songar, has also been added to the Turkish Armed Forces inventory.

The first dynamic components and landing gear produced by Alp Aviation for the T70 Utility Helicopter were delivered to TAI.

The supply of air platforms such as Bayraktar TB2 UAV, the Atak helicopter and the Anka continued during the year.