Azerbaijan, Türkiye considering projects for joint drone production

Azerbaijan and Türkiye are considering joint production of unmanned systems and their operation.

The statement came from Azerbaijani Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov in an interview with the local CBC TV channel on June 26, per Caliber.Az.

“We have very close cooperation with fraternal Türkiye, we have a joint project. The question is not only about the purchase of new flying unmanned systems but also about their joint production and operation here [in Azerbaijan]," Hasanov said.

He added that the relevant issues are already being resolved, and in the near future, the public will be informed about the final decision.

"The Supreme Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan [Ilham Aliyev] pays special attention to cooperation between the armed forces of our two countries. As you know, we are very strongly integrated, we conduct joint exercises,” Hasanov said.

Earlier this year, Turkish defence industry representatives revealed plans for joint production of advanced military equipment.

Former Turkish Defence Industry Minister Ismail Demir confirmed ongoing negotiations with the Azerbaijani authorities regarding the joint production of aircraft, as well as the modernisation of Russian-made Su-25 combat aircraft in service with the Azerbaijan Air Force.

"In addition to modernisation, we have projects related to the installation of some weapons systems on the Su-25 and the addition of intelligent systems," Demir said.

Meanwhile, Selcuk Bayraktar, CEO of the Turkish Baykar Technology Company, which manufactures Bayraktar and AKINCI combat drones, also expressed interest in developing and manufacturing cutting-edge aerial devices in Azerbaijan.