Turkey Expands Global Military Tech Footprint with Major Drone, Naval Deals

Turkey Expands Global Military Tech Footprint with Major Drone, Naval Deals Turkey is securing its position as a major exporter of advanced military technology, closing significant international deals for armed robotic boats and defense electronics while assuming a key NATO naval command. In a milestone for its defense industry, Turkey completed its first foreign sale of a domestically produced armed robot boat, the ULAQ Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), to the Qatar Coast Guard [59318]. This sale is part of a broader export strategy targeting 2026, which includes plans to sell subsystems, weapon payloads, and communications systems for unmanned vehicles abroad [59318]. Simultaneously, the Turkish defense electronics giant Aselsan signed a major $171 million contract to supply military communication systems and specialized USV payloads to a client in the Asia-Pacific region [58975]. Aselsan, a primary supplier to the Turkish armed forces and NATO, stated the deal marks a significant expansion of its global export operations [58975]. Concurrently, the Turkish Naval Forces have taken command of a principal NATO maritime strike group. As of July 1, Turkey is leading the NATO Amphibious Task Force and its Landing Force Command, a role it will hold for one year [54453]. This command rotation places Turkey in charge of planning and executing the alliance’s amphibious exercises and potential missions in its area of responsibility [54453]. The consecutive announcements highlight Turkey’s growing dual role as both a developer of cutting-edge autonomous military systems and a trusted operational leader within the NATO alliance. 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