Turkish homegrown air platforms gain prominence in Africa

CAIRO

Türkiye’s homegrown aviation platforms have gained much prominence in African countries seeking to meet the needs of their security forces.

One of these suppliers is Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). The firm is showcasing its offerings at Egypt Defense Expo (EDEX) 2025 on Dec. 1–4 in Cairo.

TAI is currently working with some 90 countries under active negotiations, while some 40 countries in Africa, including Egypt, play a key role in the firm’s efforts to promote and market homegrown air platforms.

The firm signed 14 different contracts with some seven African nations over the past five years—some of the deliveries for these deals have already been completed, while others are scheduled for delivery.

TAI’s air platforms boast a life cycle of around 25 years, and its presence in Africa will be as long as the life cycles of its offerings—the firm made its first delivery in Africa via a deal with Tunisia in 2022.

All TAI air platforms in mass production are currently in service in African countries. These platforms include the TAI Atak twin-engine helicopter, the Hurkus basic training craft, the Anka unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and the Aksungur UAV.

TAI platforms like Hurjet, Gobkey, and Anka III have entered the Turkish Air Force’s inventory, attaining field-proven experience and demonstrating their operational capabilities—these platforms will further contribute to the firm’s product diversity in the African market.

TAI’s wide range of products, ranging from basic aircraft to next-generation platforms, can respond to the diverse needs of African countries. Turkish defense products are in high demand in Africa due to their sustainability, cost-effectiveness, service quality, and other key factors.

Alongside TAI, Turkish defense firm Baykar’s products have also gained much prominence in Africa—the two firms have a combined presence in 25 African countries in air platforms alone.

African countries opt for Turkish suppliers in electro-optical systems, ammunition, and radar systems. Alongside these platforms, Turkish-made equipment from many different manufacturers boosts the export opportunities of the sector while contributing to the operational effectiveness of African forces.

TAI also supports the continent with human resources and infrastructure, training pilots for the air platforms it delivers, while establishing labs in some African countries under its engineering development program.

Turkish defense is looking to support and strengthen Türkiye’s diplomatic efforts in Africa and around the world with its human-focused activities, such as training engineers, to complement its export success in international markets.