Turkey's 'Homemade' Missile Defense System Will be Integrated Into NATO

Sputnik News

11:38 25.04.2016(updated 14:00 25.04.2016)

Turkey is going to eleborate its own missile defense system, which may be integrated in the NATO-operated one, the head of Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) said Monday.

ANKARA (Sputnik) – Turkey plans to develop its own missile defense system, which will be integrated with that operated by NATO and may help the country to increase the chances of enteringthe alliance, the head of Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) said Monday.

In November 2015, Turkey canceled a $4-billion tender for the purchase of components for the country's missile defense system, as it decided to develop the system domestically.

"We have canceled the results of the tender, not the project itself. Soon we will enter a new phase, where domestic companies, including Roketsan and Havelsan, will participate. We continue the development of short-, medium- and long-range systems, gradually increasing the range. We will not make any direct purchases, but at the same time the missile defense system we are developing, will be integrated in the NATO system. We consider that joint work with NATO will speed up the process [of the development]," Ismail Demir told the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet in an interview.

He added that it is Ankara's objective to create an entirely domestically-produced defense system and to increase Turkey's military exports by 15 times in the next seven years.

In 2009, Turkey put out a tender for the creation of its missile defense system. The US consortium Raytheon-Lockheed Martin, Europe's Eurosam and Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport all entered bids, however, China's CPMIEC ultimately won the tender.

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