ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey has launched the first stage of what may be a competition for the acquisition of advanced stealth systems.
Turkey’s procurement office, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) has released a Request for Information (RfI) for the program.
The RfI document said that the program involves advanced stealth systems to protect Turkish troops against enemy infrared, thermal camera and radar detection.
SSM said that the program also involves the acquisition of mobile stealth systems to protect mobile arms systems and tactical vehicles from enemy detection.
Industry sources said that Turkish authorities want to gain the stealth capabilities against potential enemy groups inside Syria and against Kurdish militants fighting the Turkish military in a new wave of violence.
After a two-year-long ceasefire, violence resumed last summer and hundreds — including over more than 200 troops and police officers — have since been killed in clashes between the Turkish security forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.
Turkey, the United States and the European Union view the PKK as a terrorist organization.
Burak Ege Bekdil was the Turkey correspondent for Defense News.
