Aselsan Expands its Presence in Central Asia
National Defence Minister Mr. İsmet Yılmaz, Defence Minister of Kazakhstan Adilbek Jaksıbekov, Undersecretary for Defence Industries Mr. Murad Bayar, Aselsan Chairman of the Board Mr. Necmettin Baykul, General Manager of Aselsan Mr. Cengiz Ergeneman, Aselsan Deputy General Manager Mr. Özcan Kahramangil, KAE Company General Manager Mr. Tarık Ziya Kaboğlu, Kazakh and Turkish representatives of defence industry and many invitees attended the formal ceremony held in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana. Both Ministers officially opened the Kazakhstan Aselsan Engineering company by cutting the ribbon. Minister Yılmaz and his counterpart Jaksıbekov toured the factory and gathered information on the existing capacities in the facility.
Aselsan Deputy General Manager Mr. Özcan Kahramangil made significant comments to the press at the opening ceremony of the facility. Kahramangil stated that the factory aims making sales to regional countries and former Soviet Union countries. Kahramangil expressed that Kazakhstan has importance for their company and that they established this facility considering the good relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan. Kahramangil mentioned that as Aselsan, they had achieved 34 million US Dollars sale in Kazakhstan until now and added that they aim a sale of 1 billion US Dollars in the next ten years at the new facility. The Customs Union agreement in effect between Russia and Kazakhstan is expected to become an important parameter for KAE Company to increase its efficiency at the Russian market in the future.
Stating that 9 types of electro-optical products -thermal cameras and binoculars included- are being manufactured in the facility, Kazakistan Aselsan Engineering Limited Company General Manager Mr. Tarık Ziya Kaboğlu added that they wish to modernize T72 tanks, helicopters and armored vehicles in Kazakhstan government’s inventory in the future. Kaboğlu mentioned that they would be modifying the factory based on the market needs. Pointing out that the facility is established in an indoor area of 8 thousand 500 square meters, Kaboğlu expressed that they could increase the size of the factory to 25 thousand square meters in the future.
Aselsan’s Greatest Overseas Investment
With the operation of KAE LLP Company that is Turkey’s first investment in Kazakhstan in defence industry, the relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan gained a new dimension. As the factory starts operating, production, marketing, distribution, sale and customer trainings, maintenance and repairing of image intensifier night vision goggles, binoculars and sighting devices and uncooled thermal sights shall be realized.
Within the scope of this cooperation, providing consultancy and guidance services to Kazakhstan to cover the country’s needs from Turkey regarding defence industry besides Aselsan products, reselling of and providing required services for the products purchased from KAE, establishing cooperation and developing the economic, scientific and technical relations that would contribute to the mutual benefits with local and foreign companies shall be considered.
At the facility established for investment, 3 different types of product groups composed of Night Vision Sighting Device/Goggles and Binoculars, Day Vision Sighting Device and Thermal Camera/Weapon Sighting Device systems shall be produced. Based on market demands, various product groups may be manufactured at the factory in the future. Besides the production of the aforementioned product groups, Electronic Card Production, Optical Production, Environmental Condition Testing Capacity and Calibration capabilities exist at the factory.
Electronic Card Production Capacity
The electronic cards that constitute the most significant sub-units of the electronic, electro-optical equipment and systems that are extensively used in the defence, medical, automotive, transportation, communication, housing and office electronics are considered as the critical technology nowadays. Through gaining the infrastructural capacity required for the production technology of the electronic cards, the needs of equipment and systems produced at KAE LLP shall be covered while the demands of Kazakhstan, Commonwealth of Independent States and World Market needs are met. Cutting-edge electronic cards could be produced at the electronic card production line that would be established.
Optical Production Capacity
Day vision goggle Objective Assembly and Eyepiece Assembly lenses, Night vision goggle Objective Assembly and Eyepiece Assembly lenses, Thermal sighting devices goggle Objective Assembly and Eyepiece Assembly lenses shall be produced at the optical production line to be established at KAE LLP. This optical production line shall be certified in line with the international civilian and military standards and with the certification production for international markets shall be realized.
An Environmental Conditions Testing Laboratory, where all climate conditions are simulated for testing whether the defence equipment operated under every climate condition at operation fields, exists at the facility. Reliability tests of the equipment and systems produced at the facility shall be accomplished at this test laboratory.
Calibration Capacity
At the adjustment and calibration unit at KAE LLP, optical, electronic, dimensional, pressure, temperature, shock, torque, weight, acoustic, special testing hardware capacities and test and measuring devices adjustment and calibration capabilities exist. At this unit, securing the accurate and sensitive operation of equipment and tools used in the production and testing of electro-optical devices and realizing the periodical adjustment and calibration of these tools and equipment in line with the international standard and norms are planned. The existing equipment and standards shall be aligned with the international standards and all adjustment and calibration activities shall be documented.
KAE LLP shall produce total of 7200 products in three areas annually
An investment of 36 million US Dollars has been achieved up to date at the factory established on the 75.000m² field assigned to KAE LLP at the Astana Free Economic Zone. Initially the administrative and production premises of the factory were completed during the period from May 2012 to October 2013. Between June and October 2013, Night Vision and Thermal Vision Device/ Sub-unit Level Production and Test Lines, Environmental Conditions Laboratory, Measuring and Calibration Laboratory, Material Storage and Packaging Line, Electronic Card Manufacturing and Test Line were established. The completion of Phase-3 production line and additional investment of 8 million US Dollars are planned for 2014 at the factory, Phase-1 and Phase-2 production lines of which were completed up to date. With the factory operating in full capacity, 3000 Night Vision Devices, 3000 Day Vision Sighting Device and 1200 Thermal Sighting Device are aimed to be manufactured annually. According to the authorities, border security and mainland security needs are great in Kazakhstan which is one of the greatest countries in respect with surface areas in the world. Within this framework, Aselsan is expected to add intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance equipment to its existing product range at the facility in the future.
