The Turkish Aerospace Industries Company (TAI) and the Helwan Aircraft Factory of the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) of Egypt signed a joint cooperation agreement during the Egypt International Defense Industries Exhibition (EDEX 2023) on Monday. The agreement aims to enhance the bilateral cooperation in the field of aerospace and defense, and to explore the potential opportunities for joint projects and technology transfer.

TAI, the leading aerospace company in Turkey, showcased its wide range of products and capabilities at EDEX 2023, the largest defense exhibition in Africa and the Middle East. TAI displayed the mock-ups of AKSUNGUR and ANKA unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs), HÜRKUŞ light attack aircraft in armed configuration, HÜRJET jet advanced trainer, ATAK II and T129 ATAK attack helicopters in the exhibition. TAI also presented its satellite systems, space technologies, and national fighter jet project (TF-X).

The AOI, the largest industrial organization in Egypt, has a long history of manufacturing and assembling aircraft for the Egyptian air force and the civil aviation sector. The AOI’s Aircraft Factory, established in 1950 as Helwan Aircraft Factory, is a key aerospace manufacturer in Egypt. It is located in Helwan, south of Cairo.

The AOI Aircraft Factory produces various types of aircraft, such as the Helwan HA-200 Al Kahirah subsonic trainer, the prototype Helwan HA-300 supersonic fighter, the Alpha Jet, the Tucano turboprop trainer, and the K-8E jet trainer. The K-8E is an Egyptian variant of the Chinese Hongdu JL-8, exported as the Karakorum-8 (or K-8) to several countries. The AOI Aircraft Factory also manufactures aircraft parts for the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), Dassault Aviation and SAGEM, and engages in civilian and technological projects.

The AOI also has an Engine Factory, which was established in 1960 by the Egyptian military with German technical assistance as a base to design, develop and produce aircraft engines. The Engine Factory produces, repairs and overhauls gas turbines and accessories for various aircraft, such as the SNECMA Atar 09C, the T56, the CT64, the PT6-25 and -64, the Larzac 04, the R-13 and the R-25. The Engine Factory also directs spare capacity to civilian projects, such as the manufacture of fuel injectors for Robert Bosch GmbH, air brake systems for Knorr-Bremse and rail fastening clips for Pandrol.

The AOI’s major products also include compatible ordnance for various artillery systems, tanks and anti-aircraft guns, as well as the Misr assault rifle and the AK 47, which are manufactured locally.

The joint cooperation agreement between TAI and AOI reflects the warming up of relations between Turkey and Egypt, which have been strained since the Arab Spring. The two countries have recently expressed their willingness to normalize their ties and to cooperate on regional issues, such as the situation in Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean. The agreement also demonstrates the mutual interest and ambition of the two countries to develop their aerospace and defense industries, and to enhance their technological capabilities and competitiveness in the global market.

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