A boost to military cooperation between Ankara and London.. Turkish "Bayraktar" changes the rules of the game in Ukraine and tempts Britain

London

- Ankara and London do not miss the opportunity to get rid of any dispute that disturbs their relations, the latest of which was the British government’s decision to lift all embargo measures that were imposed on exports of arms and military equipment to Turkey, a ban imposed in 2019 in response to the Turkish military operation “Spring of Peace” In northern Syria.

The latest British decision comes at a time when military and security coordination with Turkey is reaching unprecedented levels, driven by arrangements related to the Russian war in Ukraine, and hardly a month passes without a high-level contact between the two countries.

The embargo decision was the only obstacle to stronger military cooperation between the two countries, which would give the country's armies a strong boost;

Turkey needs to manufacture warplanes that may make it indispensable for the American "F-35", while Britain does not hide its admiration for the "Bayraktar TB2" planes.

Haluk Bayraktar, CEO of the Turkish aircraft manufacturer Baykar, stands in front of a Turkish drone (Reuters)

Turkish ambition

Turkey has not abandoned its ambition to manufacture fifth-generation fighter planes, dispensing with the long wait to obtain the American "F-35", and this ambition may be realized from the British gate that has companies capable of manufacturing combat aircraft engines.

In 2017, then British Prime Minister Theresa May signed a military agreement with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, worth $120 million, to develop Turkish fighters.

The agreement stipulates that the British company, Rolls-Royce, will undertake the task of developing the Turkish TF-X MMU fighter engines, which is expected to enter service in 2025 as the first entirely Turkish-made fifth-generation aircraft. Specifications similar to the American aircraft "F-35".

Indeed, a company was established between the British "Rolls-Royce" and the Turkish company "Kel" under the name of the Turkish Aerospace Engines Company (TAEC).

However, several reports spoke in 2019 about the existence of differences between the Turkish and British sides regarding the sharing of intellectual property rights for some engine components that will be manufactured, before it was announced that these differences were resolved.

The process of manufacturing aircraft engines is surrounded by a lot of secrecy and secrecy. However, some reports said that the engine that will be manufactured by the Turkish Aerospace Engines Company will have enormous capabilities.

Among them are lower fuel consumption, flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet, and a speed of 2,222 km per hour.

And if things go well between the two parties, it is expected that the Turkish TF-X will make its first flight in 2026, to enter service officially in 2029, and Turkey will be one of the few countries in the world that have the technologies Required for the manufacture of engines for warplanes of the fifth generation and the next generation as well.

The temptation of Bayraktar

In its annual defense report for 2021, the British government described Turkey as "an important and pivotal NATO ally".

This characterization is expressed by many evidence in the reality of Turkish-British military relations.

British military officials do not tire of repeating the praise and admiration for Turkish drones, which prompted the British Ministry of Defense to announce a plan to manufacture low-cost drones such as the Turkish "Bayraktar" aircraft.

According to the British Guardian newspaper, British military officials reached this conviction after witnessing the successes achieved by Bayraktar in the Battle of Karabakh in Azerbaijan.

British Defense Minister Ben Wallace previously praised the Turkish drones, considering them a model of excellence in this field, stressing that the data he has show that these planes are capable of destroying hundreds of armored vehicles as well as air defense systems.

The cost is the most important point that tempts the British Army to manufacture aircraft similar to Bayraktar, as their cost ranges between one million and two million dollars.

On the other hand, the drones that Britain has, which are the most modern in the world, are worth $20 million, and are manufactured in the United States.

Despite the high technological and combat capabilities of the drones available in Britain, their cost makes losing any of them in any battle a great loss.

The Guardian newspaper - which is close to decision-making circles in Britain - said in a lengthy article that the Bayraktar plane is "the decisive factor in changing the rules of the game" in the current war in Ukraine, and it is reported by more than one official and a military expert that this model of aircraft has become tempting inside Britain. and outside.

Huge Deals

Since 2013, the volume of military deals between Britain and Turkey has amounted to about $1.8 billion, and the volume of British military equipment exports to Turkey slowed during the 2016 coup attempt in Ankara, as Britain issued one license to export military equipment to Turkey.

Military relations returned to their previous state in 2017, and the two countries participated in many projects, including the manufacture of American "F-35" aircraft, in which Britain contributes to the manufacture of some equipment for these aircraft, as well as Turkey.

Turkey is a key partner in the A400M military aircraft project to transport soldiers, and Britain is supervising the manufacture of the wings of these aircraft, from which Turkey obtained 7 pieces during the period between 2014 and 2017.