Türkiye and Azerbaijan have signed a package of defense industry agreements worth more than $500 million, including the delivery of 14 HÜRKUŞ-II trainer aircraft and a range of missile, radar and electronic warfare systems.
The agreements were signed on Wednesday on the sidelines of the sixth Azerbaijan International Defense Exhibition (ADEX 2026) in Baku, according to Haluk Görgün, head of Türkiye’s Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
Görgün said the agreements would strengthen the defense capabilities of both countries and further deepen their defense industry cooperation.
Under the package, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) signed a contract for the supply of HÜRKUŞ aircraft to Azerbaijan. Fourteen HÜRKUŞ-II aircraft will be delivered to the Azerbaijani side, with Görgün saying deliveries are expected to begin rapidly and take place within 2026.
HÜRKUŞ-II is Türkiye’s new-generation basic trainer aircraft. The aircraft is designed for pilot training and features modern avionics, ejection seats, an onboard oxygen-generation system and a 1,600-horsepower turboprop engine. TUSAŞ lists a maximum cruise speed of 533 kilometers per hour and a service ceiling of nearly 12,000 meters for the new-generation trainer.
The aircraft is being introduced as part of Türkiye’s broader effort to modernize its military pilot-training infrastructure. TUSAŞ says deliveries of the new-generation HÜRKUŞ to the Turkish Air Force are also scheduled for 2026.
Missile, coastal defense and radar systems
The agreements extend beyond aircraft procurement.
Baykar signed contracts covering the supply of Mızrak smart loitering munitions and Antidot systems, while Roketsan signed a contract for the Barbaros Coastal Defense System. ASELSAN separately signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the supply of ALP-100 radar systems.
Roketsan describes Barbaros as a mobile coastal defense system capable of operating Atmaca and Çakır cruise missiles within a vehicle-based battalion structure. The system can also be integrated with coastal surveillance radars and centralized command-and-control systems.
The combination of trainer aircraft, loitering munitions, electronic systems, radar technology and coastal defense capabilities indicates that the agreements cover several different layers of Azerbaijan’s defense requirements rather than a single weapons platform. The total value of the signed agreements exceeds $500 million, although individual contract values were not disclosed.
Cooperation expands to local production
The ADEX agreements also included initiatives aimed at expanding cooperation beyond direct defense equipment sales and toward joint production, research and development and human-resource development.
ASELSAN and Azerbaijani company NOVASIS signed a preliminary agreement for the establishment of a factory in Nakhchivan. Boğaziçi Defense and NOVASIS also signed an agreement concerning cooperation and local production, while Kayı Defense and NOVASIS concluded a separate cooperation memorandum.
MKE and Miras signed a memorandum covering strategic cooperation and business development, while Otokar and Miras signed a logistics support cooperation agreement.
Türkiye’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK), SSB, Azerbaijan’s Defense Industry Ministry and Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Science and Education also signed an academic cooperation memorandum covering higher education, scientific research, technology and the development of skilled personnel for the defense industry.
Görgün said the two countries would work together to train engineers and develop local production capabilities, describing joint projects and manufacturing as a way of further strengthening bilateral cooperation.
ADEX provides platform for expanded defense cooperation
The agreements were announced on the opening day of ADEX 2026, which is being held at the Baku Expo Center from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.
The exhibition's organizers describe ADEX as a major regional defense industry platform bringing together manufacturers, military officials and defense-sector representatives. This year's event includes national pavilions from 14 countries, while Türkiye is the most widely represented country at the exhibition. Major Turkish defense companies participating include TUSAŞ, Baykar, ASELSAN, Roketsan and HAVELSAN.
The latest agreements add to the expanding defense cooperation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan, which has increasingly included not only the procurement of Turkish-made systems but also technology cooperation, training, local production and industrial partnerships.
Görgün said the agreements reflected the longstanding solidarity between the two countries and expressed hope that the projects would contribute to their defense capabilities and cooperation across the wider Turkic world. (ILKHA)
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