TSAMTO, October 18. Reuters reported, citing four informed sources, that Turkey is expanding the export of armed UAVs after their successful use in international conflicts, having concluded new agreements with Morocco and Ethiopia.
As the agency predicts, any supplies of UAVs to Ethiopia may lead to friction in the already strained relations between Ankara and Cairo, which is at odds with Addis Ababa because of the dam of a hydroelectric power station on the Blue Nile.
Two sources in the Egyptian security services said that Cairo had asked the United States and a number of European countries for help in freezing the deal. A third Egyptian source said that an agreement could be reached during negotiations between Cairo and Ankara, which are trying to restore relations.
Turkey, Ethiopia and Morocco have not officially announced the conclusion of contracts for the supply of UAVs, but several sources familiar with the situation revealed some details to Reuters.
Thus, one of the Turkish diplomats, on condition of anonymity, said that Ethiopia and Morocco had sent requests for the supply of the Bayraktar TB2 UAV, as well as related equipment, spare parts and services. The Moroccan Armed Forces have already received the first batch of shock UAVs ordered at the beginning of the year. Ethiopia planned to purchase drones, but the status of this order is not yet clear. The sources did not report the number of UAVs ordered and their cost.
Comment:
As reported by TSAMTO, in September, the Moroccan media announced the arrival from Turkey of the first batch of Baykar Makina armed Bayraktar TB2 UAVs. The contract signed at the beginning of the year with a total value of about 626 million dirhams ($70 million) provides for the purchase of 13 Bayraktar TB2 UAVs and related equipment.
Ukraine and Poland have also acquired Turkish armed UAVs, the cost of which, according to military experts, is lower than that of analogues produced in Israel, China and the United States.
Official data indicate that Turkish defense and aerospace industry exports to Morocco and Ethiopia have increased sharply in recent months. According to the Turkish Exporters Association (TIM), the volume of exports of Turkish defense and aerospace industry enterprises to Ethiopia increased to $ 51 million in the first three months of 2021 from $ 203 thousand in the same period last year. Exports to Morocco for the same period amounted to $78.6 million (including $62 million). in September) compared to $402 thousand last year. However, there are no specific data on UAV sales in the reports.
The Command of the Armed Forces and the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia did not respond to requests for comment on the reports. The Moroccan government also did not respond to a request for comment on the situation, and the country's armed forces do not discuss their purchases publicly. Turkish manufacturers also did not respond to the agency's request for comment.
The Turkish government is using the growing interest in armed UAVs in the world to increase exports and increase production in the country's defense industry. Last year, the Turkish Armed Forces used national-made UAVs in Syria and Libya, where Ankara supported the actions of the government in Tripoli in the fight against the Libyan National Army of General Khalifa Haftar. In Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkish UAVs were used by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
According to TIM, the total volume of exports of defense and aerospace enterprises of Turkey for the first three quarters of 2021 amounted to $ 2.109 billion, which is 38.7% more than last year ($ 1.52 billion).
