Breaking news
Turkey could be interested to purchase French Eurosam SAMP missile as new air defense system 2008143.
| 2014
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Defence & Security News - Turkey |
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| Wednesday, August 20, 2014 03:31 PM | |||
| Turkey could be interested to purchase French Eurosam SAMP missile as new air defense system. | |||
| According
to unnamed sources close to the Undersecretariat for the Defense Industry
(SSM) who spoke to Today's Zaman on Monday, August 18, 2014, Turkey could
be interesed to purchase military equipment from France regarding the
tender for a multi-billion dollar air defense system. |
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The
sources said that SSM Undersecretary Ismail Demir held a secret meeting
in France with the firm Eurosam regarding interest in the tender, which
is expected to be one of the largest military projects in the history
of the Turkish Republic. The French Company Euirosam produces the SAMP also called MAMBA in the French Army, a a land-based air defence system effective against high-speed threats such as tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, combat aircraft and UCAVs (unmanned combat air vehicles). SAMP uses Aster 30 block 1 missiles which are equipped with a modified seeker, fuse, signal processing and a directional blast warhead where larger warhead fragments are directed towards the target. Aster 30 has the capability to intercept targets at altitudes from 50m to 20km. Against aircraft targets flying at altitudes above 3km, the maximum range of the Aster 30 is 100km. At aircraft targets with altitudes below 3km, the range of Aster 30 is 50km. Last year, Turkey chose a Chinese company for the tender, however the deadline for the tender has since been extended several times, allowing Turkey to pursue offers from other bidders. If negotiations with the Chinese do not continue, Eurosam is second in line, while an American company has third priority, according to sources. Ankara said last year that the $3.4 billion high technology offer from China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corporation (CPMIEC) would enable Turkey to co-produce the missiles and thus build a strong national defense industry, a factor that played a critical role in the initial selection of the Chinese firm. CPMIEC is under US sanctions for selling items to Iran, Syria and North Korea that are banned under US law to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. |
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