Ankara’s ARCA Savunma expands to Europe with acquisition of Italian arms firm

Turkish defence company ARCA Savunma has completed the acquisition of Esplodenti Sabino, a well-established ammunition manufacturer based in Casalbordino, Italy. Esplodenti Sabino has long supplied ammunition to NATO and the Italian Ministry of Defence.

This development was reported by Global Defence Insight on social media and shared by Caliber.Az.

🇹🇷 Turkiye’s ARCA Savunma Acquires Italian Ammunition Manufacturer Esplodenti Sabino 🇮🇹

Turkish ammunition giant ARCA Savunma has officially acquired Italy-based Esplodenti Sabino, a renowned manufacturer with long-standing contracts with NATO and the Italian Ministry of… pic.twitter.com/55rxusQnUu

— Global Defense Insight (@Defense_Talks) July 18, 2025

The deal, finalised after focused negotiations headed by ARCA Savunma’s chairman, İsmail Terlemez, significantly bolsters the company’s footprint in Europe while reinforcing Türkiye’s strategic position worldwide in defence manufacturing and supply.

Esplodenti Sabino is among the limited number of European firms specialising in the disposal of ammunition, missiles, and explosives. Over many years, it has carried out key projects for NATO member countries and the Italian Ministry of Defence.

Financial terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed, and details about planned modifications to the Casalbordino facility by ARCA Savunma have not been revealed.

ARCA Savunma is headquartered in Ankara and maintains an office in Milan, Italy. The company produces artillery, mortar, and gun ammunition in various calibres, rockets with ranges between 20 and 40 kilometres, as well as plastic explosives within Türkiye. It now looks forward to expanding its product portfolio through operations at the new Italian plant.

By Tamilla Hasanova