Türkiye's missile producer Roketsan signed new foreign and domestic strategic cooperation agreements at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025 in Istanbul.
The 17th edition of the six-day defence fair IDEF, starting on Tuesday, is being held simultaneously at the Istanbul Fair Centre, Ataturk Airport, Wow Hotel, and Atakoy Marina.
The event, organised by KFA Fairs with support from Türkiye's Defence Industries Secretariat (SSB) and the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation, has Anadolu as its global communication partner.
Roketsan attracted great interest at the fair with its innovative products and field-proven systems, becoming one of the most notable companies at the event.
The company finalised critical agreements covering product deliveries and new projects during signing ceremonies held on the first two days of the fair.
Artillery systems cooperation with Azerbaijan
Roketsan took its strategic partnership with Azerbaijan in the defence sector a step further by signing a new cooperation protocol in the field of artillery systems.
The “Artillery Systems Cooperation Protocol,” which came into effect on July 22, was signed by Agil Gurbanov, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Faruk Yigit, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Roketsan.
Historic Agreement on Gokbora Project
The development contract for the Gokbora Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile project, which was introduced at IDEF 2025, was also signed on Wednesday between the Secretariat of Defence Industries (SSB) and Roketsan.
The contract was signed by SSB President Haluk Gorgun and Roketsan General Manager Murat Ikinci.
The Gokbora, which will be used with both manned and unmanned combat aircraft, is planned to become the new striking power of the air force with its range exceeding 100 nautical miles and superior guidance capability.
Additionally, a contract was signed between Roketsan and another Turkish defence firm Aselsan for the development of RF seeker heads and missile-mounted data link subsystems under the project.
Strategic agreements with SSB
Two more important agreements were also signed between Roketsan and the SSB.
The two institutions signed the Mixed Rocket/Missile System Project Agreement and the TRLG-122 Missile System Supply Cooperation Protocol.
These agreements aim to develop and procure critical systems that will advance Türkiye's defence capabilities.
- Fuel rod agreement with MKE Roketsan and a Turkish defence firm MKE also signed an agreement for the supply of fuel rods to be used in various projects.
The agreement was signed by Roketsan General Manager Murat Ikinci and MKE General Manager Ilhami Keles.
- Deal with Teknopark Istanbul Roketsan also signed a new protocol with Teknopark Istanbul to support new ventures in the defence and technology sectors.
The “Incubation Center-Focused Corporate Cooperation Protocol” was signed by Roketsan General Manager Murat Ikinci and Teknopark Istanbul General Manager Abdurrahman Akyol.
This cooperation aims to commercialise innovative ideas, support startups, and contribute to the defence ecosystem.
Localization efforts
On Thursday, Roketsan inked “Memorandum of Understanding on Localization Efforts” with companies it has collaborated with so far; Armsto Konnektor, Asil Celik, Sensorsan Sensor Technologies, Iveo Electronic Defence Systems, Korel Elektronik, and Pavezyum Kimya.
Roketsan's Rise for Tomorrow platform, launched last year, also plays a significant role in the localisation initiative.
The platform, which was launched to increase the effectiveness of nationalisation efforts, strengthen supplier relationships and the ecosystem with potential suppliers, is positioned as a sharing platform established to minimise supply risks and dependence on foreign countries.
Halid Bulut said that it is very important for Roketsan to continue its localisation efforts without slowing down in order to reduce dependence on external sources in the supply process and become more independent.
