June 25, 2015

Turkey-China missile deal stalls over technology transfer

Chinese always negotiate for technology transfer or reverse engineer technology.

Turkey can also reverse engineer Chinese technology.





Ismail Demir, head of Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, has said the nation has not yet made a final decision regarding the purchase of the FD-2000, the export version of the Chinese HQ-9 air defense missile, because Beijing has not yet agreed to transfer the weapon's system technology to Istanbul, according to the Moscow-based Military Parade on June 22.

The Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies based in Moscow recently translated an interview between CNN and Ismail Demir during the 12th International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul last month. Demir said Turkey is still holding negotiations with four potential contractors, including China. He said that the FD-2000 was chosen in 2013 to be Turkey's next-generation medium-range air defense missile due to its cost effectiveness.

Having apparently overcome the objections of the United States, the procurement deal for the FD-2000 hit a snag at China's refusal to transfer the missile technology to Turkey. Though the FD-2000 may be the cheapest missile system Turkey can get, Demir said the cost will still be high to acquire the missile, radar, fire-control system and software. Demir said that Turkey deserves access to the whole HQ-9 technology package from China in order to operate the system properly.

Due to protests from the United States and other NATO members, Turkey wavered on whether to purchase the Chinese missile system until February this year. Demir said Ankara changed its policy because other nations, the US included, also refused to transfer the technology the nation would need to operate the system.

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