Turkish aerospace company, Baykar, has signed an export and cooperation agreement involving Akinci drones with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Baykar doesn’t disclose the nuclear of drones of drone or the value of the contract. Baykar’s CEO Haluk Bayraktar called it one of the largest export contracts for the Turkish aerospace and defense industry.
Interestingly, the co-production of Akinci drones is also part of the contract. Saudi Arabian Defense Minister, Khalid Bin Salman, tweeted, “Two acquisition contracts were signed between Saudi MoD and Baykar, under which Saudi MOD will acquire drones, with the aim of enhancing the readiness of the Kingdom’s armed forces and bolstering its defense and manufacturing capabilities.”
It is learned that these drones will be given to the Royal Saudi Air Force and Royal Saudi Naval Forces. Saudi Arabia is the third Gulf country that procures these lethal drones after Qatar and Kuwait.
Umair Aslam is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Defense Insight. He has worked as a defense journalist reporting on military modernization programs, defense industry, arms procurement, and emerging technologies.
