Turkey abandons USD4 billion T-Loramids SAM system buy

Turkey has decided to abandon its plans to buy an off-the-shelf system for its T-Loramids surface-to-air missile (SAM) programme and is now seeking to co-develop a SAM system instead.

Local and foreign defence industry sources have informed IHS Jane's that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan used his influence on the Executive Committee (EC) of the Undersecretariat for Defence Industries (SSM) during its 3 January meeting to abandon the USD4 billion purchase of 12 SAM systems in favour of the development of an advanced SAM system between Turkey and one of the bidding companies.

To the surprise of many, Turkey failed to pick a winner for its six-year-old T-Loramids SAM project during the 3 January meeting of the EC, the top decision making body on arms procurement - chaired by Erdogan.

The SSM and the four foreign bidders in the T-Loramids project are now working on the details of a co-development model, although none of the parties would provide a comment on the details to IHS Jane's .