Ukraine and Turkey have agreed on the development and joint production of passenger and military transport aircraft based on the Antonov company’s existing designs. This follows from the agreement signed by Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Public Utilities Hennadii Zubko and Defense Minister of Turkey Ismet Yilmaz following the 10th session of the intergovernmental Ukrainian-Turkish commission on trade and economic issues.
“We have agreed on partnership in aviation industry and space technology development. Ukraine is ready to cooperate with Turkey in developing and producing new passenger and transport aircraft, with the Antonov State Enterprise leading the project. In particular, it will involve development and production of the TAN-158 passenger aircraft, based on the An-158 design, a transport aircraft for the Turkish side based on the An-178 design, and an An-70-based aircraft for the Turkish side,” Zubko told the press. He also expressed confidence that cooperation between the two countries would be productive. “We have developed a road map and will follow it,” Zubko stressed.
For his part, Yilmaz said that the document covered issues relating to industry, technology, energy, agriculture, transport, tourism, environmental protection, urban planning, culture and tourism. According to him, the issues mentioned in the agreement will serve as the benchmark for the development of bilateral economic and trade relations. He also stressed that these negotiations and subsequent decisions were to give a new impetus to the Turkish-Ukrainian relations.
AN178 / Photo from the website ANTONOV.COM
According to the Daily Sabah newspaper, the agreement also provides for training of nuclear plant personnel and Turkish students in Ukraine.
Let us recall that negotiations between the Antonov State Enterprise and the Turkish Aerospace Industries on joint development of an aircraft based on the An-158 design began in the summer of 2013. In October of that year, the then Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych showed An-158 to Recep Erdogan.
“NO RUSSIAN DESIGN BUREAU CAN COMPETE WITH THE UKRAINIAN ANTONOV BUREAU”
Valentyn BADRAK, director of the Center for Army, Conversion, and Disarmament Studies:
“Amid the ongoing industrial crisis in Ukraine, the Ukrainian tradition of design and manufacture of military transport and regional passenger aircraft has proven that it has not only survived, but is developing further. The very fact that over these years, it has come up with several new aircraft modifications, including the An-178 military transport and the family of regional airliners which includes An-148 and An-158, confirms that this tradition keeps developing and stays ahead of all post-Soviet aircraft design traditions. That is, no Russian design bureau can compete with the Ukrainian Antonov bureau.
“As for Turkey, that country has set up its defense industry over the past three decades despite starting virtually from the scratch. Turkey was an attentive observer and hard negotiator in areas such as aviation and space technology. In addition, the Turkish side has been interested in radar technology and high-precision weapons development. It is exactly in these areas that Ukraine is a serious player in the global arms market.
“Since Ukraine has taken practical steps towards Euro-Atlantic integration, it has effectively opened ways for such cooperation.
“Incidentally, this is not the first episode in recent history which saw Ukraine starting to actively move in the western direction. I can mention that we already can boast of other areas of cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey, namely the Turkish company HAVELSAN signing a memorandum of cooperation in April which dealt with joint development and production of radar systems by this company and the Ukrainian concern Ukroboronprom.
“This means that both sides stand to gain. Turkey wants to strengthen its manufacturing capabilities and, following the example of most high-tech Western nations, to diversify suppliers.
“I understand that Turkey, since it has been focused on the US and European producers, also sees as highly important these steps towards diversification, I mean setting up joint production. Turkey has significant resources and is one of the countries that allocate 7 to 9 percent of their public spending to defense. Therefore, military cooperation with Turkey is extremely important to Ukraine. After all, Ukraine has always lagged behind in terms of launching mass production of its aircraft and other armament systems due to our limited resources and low levels of national defense procurement. This external project can significantly advance Ukraine.
“As for the potential, this country has extensive experience with Iran on transferring aircraft production as well as extensive experience in the Indian market, which saw the Indian Air Force resolving to stop cooperating with Russian design bureaus and opt for Ukrainian help in developing their military transport aircraft. One can also mention the contract to build An-132s in the United Arab Emirates.
“So now, thanks to all these agreements, we have growth opportunities for our aircraft industry and openings for emergence of new technologies and systems.
“Another circumstance is important as well. We faced a cautious attitude from NATO countries and the EU, and the whole of the Western world before, since Ukraine was dependent on Russia. Now Ukraine has got rid of that influence and declared its readiness for large-scale cooperation with Western defense companies. Thus Turkey, which considers itself part of the Western world or a bridge between the Western world and the Middle East, is now a very interesting and important partner for Ukraine.”
