Europe opens door to Turkish defense technology
A new joint venture aimed at opening the doors of the European market to armored land vehicles produced by Türkiye’s defense industry is being launched.
Turkish defense company FNSS signed a framework agreement with Slovakia-based CSG during the Eurosatory 2026 defense exhibition in Paris to establish a joint venture, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.
The partnership aims to enter the European market with the CFL-120 KARPAT tank, which was unveiled at IDEB 2026 in Slovakia in May.
KARPAT was developed as a medium-weight armored vehicle with high firepower by integrating a 120mm turret from Leonardo onto the KAPLAN MT platform produced by FNSS and already delivered to the Indonesian Army. The vehicle combines survivability, mobility, and firepower in a single platform designed to meet modern battlefield requirements.
Through the joint venture with CSG, FNSS aims to expand its global presence into Europe and export its products to Western countries. CFL-120 KARPAT is expected to serve as the flagship project of this cooperation, while other FNSS platforms and technologies may also enter the European market in the future through local partnerships, technology transfer, and long-term cooperation models.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, FNSS General Manager and Board Member Selim Baybaş said that Eurosatory 2026 held special significance for the company because of the major partnership agreement.
"We have joined forces with an important European group. We will participate together in European programs. We brought our highly valued Medium Tank KARPAT-120 platform to our new partner’s stand. It attracted tremendous interest. We hope to see our vehicle enter the inventories of major European NATO members in upcoming programs," Baybaş said.
He noted that Europe’s defense industry faces both capacity shortages and technology gaps.
"The European defense industry can learn a great deal from the Turkish defense industry, which has become a leader in this field. There is also a need for additional production capacity and technology. Europe has lived through decades of peace, while Türkiye has made significant progress in developing its defense industry," he said.
Baybaş emphasized that the cooperation enables FNSS to participate in European programs while meeting local production and industrial participation requirements.
"We want our vehicles, which have been successfully used for years by the Turkish Armed Forces and have proven themselves in NATO operations and exercises, to be produced in Europe and enter the inventories of European armies. We want them to benefit from our experience, engineering capabilities, production capacity, and technological advantages," he added.
"Technology from Türkiye, Part of the Manufacturing from Europe"
Baybaş explained that FNSS will retain all engineering, design, research and development capabilities, as well as licensing rights, through its R&D center in Ankara.
"All design, R&D capabilities and licenses will remain with us. Under this agreement, we plan to manufacture in Europe. Depending on requirements and with the approval of our Ministry of Defense and Defense Industry Agency, some of our licensed vehicles may be produced in Europe for specific programs. In a sense, the technology will come from us, while part of the manufacturing will come from Europe," he said.
Baybaş noted that FNSS's decision to showcase the KAPLAN MT platform at Eurosatory was intentional.
According to him, European programs increasingly favor lighter and more mobile vehicles with strong payload capacity. Equipped with a 120mm gun, the KAPLAN medium tank offers capabilities comparable to much larger vehicles while providing advantages in transportability, logistics, and mobility.
He concluded by expressing hope that the partnership would deliver positive results for FNSS, its partners, and the Turkish defense industry, and contribute significantly to future export growth.
Photo: Chat GPT
