Turkey Cements Global Arms Dealer Status with Major Drone Boat, Asia-Pacific Deals

Turkey Cements Global Arms Dealer Status with Major Drone Boat, Asia-Pacific Deals Turkey is rapidly expanding its footprint as a major exporter of advanced military technology, securing landmark deals for armed robot boats and defense electronics worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The push was highlighted by the first foreign sale of a Turkish-made armed unmanned surface vehicle (USV), with the Qatar Coast Guard as the buyer [59318]. The vessel, named ULAQ, is part of a broader export strategy targeting 2026 for unmanned systems [59318]. In a separate but simultaneous development, Turkish defense giant Aselsan signed an international sales contract worth $171 million [58975]. The deal, with an unnamed client in the Asia-Pacific region, is for military communication systems and specialized payloads for USVs [58975]. Aselsan is a leading electronics supplier to the Turkish armed forces and NATO [58975]. These sales strengthen Turkey's role as a growing producer of sophisticated military hardware, moving beyond domestic supply to become a competitive global vendor [59318]. Officials plan to expand exports to include individual subsystems, weapon payloads, and communications gear designed for unmanned platforms [59318]. The country's strategic position was further underscored as it assumed command of a key NATO naval strike force. The Turkish Naval Forces took control of the NATO Amphibious Task Force and its Landing Force Command on July 1, a role it will hold for one year [54453]. This command rotation gives Turkey responsibility for planning and leading alliance exercises and potential missions in the region [54453]. Turkey Sells First Armed Robot Boat to Qatar Turkish Defense Giant Aselsan Seals Major $171M Asia-Pacific Deal Turkey Assumes Command of Key NATO Naval Strike Force