Ukraine strikes deal with Turkish Baykar for drone service centre
The Ukrainian defence ministry and the Turkish company Baykar Makina have agreed to set up a service centre for the repair and maintenance of drones in Ukraine, the government said in a statement on Monday.
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The deal was signed on the basis of the framework intergovernmental agreement between Ukraine and Türkiye on cooperation in the fields of high technology, aviation and space industries, which entered into force in January.
The agreement, which aims to encourage direct investment and create favourable conditions for technology transfer and production use between the two countries, provides for special tax and customs benefits for Turkish investors in the aerospace industry of Ukraine until January 2035.
The establishment of a service centre will make a "significant contribution" to strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities, state secretary of the defence ministry Kostyantyn Vashchenko was quoted as saying.
"It is important for us to create our own base in Ukraine to service drones. This joint project will lay the foundation for our systematic work and create jobs in Ukraine," the official said.
Mr Vashchenko added the Ukrainian defence ministry’s policy is aimed at strengthening its own capabilities to repair military equipment.
"This applies not only to drones, but also to heavy armoured vehicles and other means of warfare. We understand that we need to develop our own infrastructure and train our personnel so that even after the victory we can be as effective as possible in maintaining the country's defence capability."
In June, Baykar received licences to manufacture Bayraktar TB2 and Akinci unmanned aerial vehicles in Ukraine. The plant scheduled to open in 2025.