2nd Defense Logistics Support Summit Held in Ankara

The summit was officially opened by Nurettin ÖZDEBİR, President of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO), Osman OKYAY, Chairman of the Board of the Defense and Aerospace Industry Manufacturers Association (SaSaD), and Sami ATALAN, Chairman of the Defense Logistics Support Summit Organizing Committee.

In his speech at the opening of the summit, Nurettin ÖZDEBİR, President of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO), stated that according to the analyses, military expenditures in developing countries, including Türkiye, have had a positive impact on investments in other fields. He also emphasized that military expenditures have been found to provide positive externalities to alternative fields. ÖZDEBİR expressed that the volume of defense projects in Türkiye exceeded 60 billion dollars as of 2022, underlining that defense industry revenue, which was 1.3 billion dollars in 2002, surpassed 10 billion dollars in 2021: "The industry, which invests 1.6 billion dollars annually in R&D, has surpassed its 248-million-dollar export capacity to reach an export volume of over 3.2 billion dollars. The sector's local content rate has increased from 20 percent to 70 percent. Nearly 800 projects are still being effectively conducted by our defense sector. As of 2022, the total volume of ongoing defense programs has surpassed 60 billion dollars."

Nurettin ÖZDEBİR, President of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO): "Türkiye Ranks 18th in the World with its Military Expenditure of $ 15.5 Billion."

ÖZDEBİR noted that global military expenditures saw a record increase and hit $ 2.1 trillion in 2021. "62 percent of global military expenditures were made by five countries: the US, China, India, the UK, and Russia. Türkiye ranks 18th in the world with its military expenditure of $ 15.5 billion. Over the last 10 years, the rate of increase in expenditures reached 63 percent in real terms, depending on the efforts made by our country to minimize its foreign dependency."

Ankara is an important city for the defense and aerospace industries, according to ÖZDEBİR, who stated that the capital is the top exporter of defense and aerospace products. ÖZDEBİR also mentioned that export unit prices are the key indicators reflecting the significance of the defense industry and continued as follows: "Export unit prices are one of the key figures showing the importance and added value of the defense industry. While Türkiye's export price per kg in 2021 was 1.3 dollars, the unit price of the defense industry's exports was 70 dollars, which is around 54 times the average."

Osman OKYAY, SaSaD Chairman of the Board: "This Year, We Aim to Increase the Industry's Exports to $4 Billion."

Osman OKYAY, Chairman of the Board of the Defense and Aerospace Industry Manufacturers Association (SaSaD) stated that the Defense Logistics Support Summit was organized to review defense logistics strategies and discuss international models: "Today, we are witnessing the return of industrial warfare. The amount of artillery and rocket ammunition used in just a few months in the Russian-Ukrainian war is several times the annual production of the countries that supply the ammunition. Due to shortages, both countries are using outdated systems that have been in storage for decades because the gap between losses and the rate of replacement is too wide. This is not sustainable for both sides. These experiences have taught us significant lessons."

OKYAY made the following comments on the future of the industry: "Defense logistics will need to be improved in every area, from raw materials to the front lines, at every step of the process. The more active role of autonomous systems in logistics missions, improvements in production technologies with the support of artificial intelligence, efficiency in fuel consumption, and cyber capabilities will be even more prominent than they are today. We need to position ourselves appropriately in this shifting environment as a country and industry. We also need to assess the capabilities of the current infrastructure for mission readiness. Foreign sanctions and disruptions in supply chains can risk the combat readiness of critical platforms relying on advanced technology. We need to account for these risks in our planning to guarantee the strong continuity of defense logistics. We are aware of the critical role the Turkish defense industry has played in the development of our country. Our success and competitiveness in the industry are at a greater point than ever before, creating high-added value for the national economy as a result of the significant momentum gained in recent years. We aim to increase the industry's exports, which amounted to $3 billion last year, to $4 billion this year and even higher in the coming years."

Sami ATALAN, Chairman of the DLSS Organizing Committee: "The Russia-Ukraine War Highlights the Significance of Defense Logistics"

Sami ATALAN, Chairman of the DLSS Organizing Committee, said that the second Defense Logistics Support Summit was organized this year and that its attendance keeps steadily rising. ATALAN stated that the Russia-Ukraine war has revealed how important the issue of defense logistics is and added: "We see a NATO that is addressing its deficiencies with tremendous urgency, and there are lessons that every country should learn from the current Russia-Ukraine war."

Special sessions were held throughout the two-day event with the participation of expert speakers on the logistics analysis of the Russia-Ukraine war, the significance of unmanned vehicles in combat environments, the space dimension of logistics, integrated product support management in the defense industry, and the opportunities awaiting the Turkish defense industry in Africa. Domestic and national technologies in the field of defense logistics were also introduced.

Approximately 1,300 visitors and more than 65 exhibitors with booths participated in the two-day summit. Several projects and products, such as a concealment net that protects against thermal cameras and can be shaped, 5.56mm light machine guns, weapon & optical systems storage cases, prefabricated military hospitals, augmented reality-based product support software systems, and an inflatable tent that can carry 1,250 kilos was exhibited at the 2nd Military Logistics and Support Summit. At the event, a cooperation agreement was signed between BİTES Defence & Aerospace Technologies and Milsoft Software Technologies for the augmented reality-based Integrated Logistics Lifecycle Support & Fleet Management System (Mil-ILS)