Egypt, Turkey Sign Historic Defense Pact to Jointly Manufacture VTOL Drones

Egypt and Turkey have taken a major step forward in their defense relations with the signing of a landmark agreement to co-produce vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicles (VTOL-UAVs).

The deal was announced on Tuesday between Egypt’s Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) and Turkish defense technology company Havelsan.

The partnership aims to strengthen both nations’ efforts to localize advanced defense technology while also boosting regional cooperation.

Turkish Ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Şen, described the agreement as a milestone in bilateral industrial and defense collaboration, noting that it marks a new chapter in the Ankara–Cairo relationship. He highlighted the growing trust and synergy between the two countries in advanced technology and defense industries.

Beyond drones, the cooperation has already extended to unmanned ground vehicles. Production of these systems began after a previous collaboration between Havelsan and Egypt’s Kader Factory, signaling a widening scope of joint defense projects.

In a statement, AOI stressed the strategic importance of its cooperation with Havelsan, highlighting the partnership’s role in attracting investment, meeting domestic defense needs, and creating new export opportunities in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 for sustainable development.

AOI Chairman Mokhtar Abdel Latif praised Havelsan’s global expertise, calling the agreement a vital step in deepening local manufacturing and embedding advanced technologies in Egypt.

Havelsan officials welcomed the collaboration, describing AOI as Egypt’s industrial backbone and expressing their ambition to expand the localization of cutting-edge defense technologies and cooperation across other industrial fields.