Azerbaijan and Turkey Sign $500 Million Defense Deals at ADEX 2026

Defense Contracts Signed at ADEX 2026 in Baku

The agreements signal a broad integration of military capabilities between Baku and Ankara. Haluk Görgün detailed five major operations involving prominent Turkish defense firms during the exhibition, which runs from September 30 to October 2. Turkey participated in the event with its largest national delegation to date, bringing 61 companies among approximately 280 total exhibitors from 30 countries.

The manufacturing partners span several sectors of Turkey’s defense industrial base. TUSAŞ secured the contract for aircraft delivery, ASELSAN booked radar and electronic warfare agreements, Baykar agreed to supply loitering munitions, and Roketsan finalized the coastal defense system deal. Beyond hardware acquisitions, the framework includes an academic cooperation memorandum involving the Council of Education Superior of Turkey, the SSB, and Azerbaijani ministries, alongside joint manufacturing and logistics ventures.

Aeronautical Training and the HÜRKUŞ-2 Integration

The aviation component centers on the acquisition of 14 HÜRKUŞ-2 aircraft for the Azerbaijani Air Force. TUSAŞ confirmed the contract during the exhibition, with initial deliveries scheduled to begin before the end of the year, according to Haluk Görgün.

This deployment represents the first export contract for the updated HÜRKUŞ-2 variant, complementing serial production lines that include 55 units for the Turkish Air Force. The aircraft features a digital cockpit and weapon-carrying capabilities designed to prepare student pilots for jet operations while executing light attack and close air support missions. By incorporating this platform, Azerbaijan is modernizing its basic and advanced training pipelines while aligning operating procedures and systems directly with Turkish forces.

Advanced Radar and Electronic Warfare Capabilities

Surveillance and electronic intelligence form a core pillar of the newly signed package. ASELSAN secured agreements to provide the ALP 100 S-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and the ANTIDOT electronic support system.

The ALP 100 is an active electronically scanned array radar utilizing gallium nitride technology, engineered to detect low-flying aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles exceeding 100 nautical miles in detection range. Mounted on an 8×8 tactical vehicle, the radar requires a two-person crew and can deploy or retract in approximately 15 minutes, offering high mobility for distributed air defense networks. The system also tracks rockets and mortar shells, pinpointing launch and impact locations.

Concurrently, the ANTIDOT electronic warfare pod introduces digital recording, direction-finding, and emissions characterization capabilities against opposing air defense networks. Weighing roughly 30 kilograms, the system integrates with tactical unmanned aerial vehicles to feed real-time targeting data back to ground stations.

Long-Range Strike and Maritime Defense Additions

Offensive reach and maritime deterrence round out the multi-domain procurement. Baykar finalized an agreement for the Mızrak loitering munition, which features an operational range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, an endurance of more than seven hours, and a warhead payload of up to 40 kilograms.

The Mızrak platform incorporates artificial intelligence-assisted autonomous flight, visual navigation, and anti-jamming protections. It interoperates with Bayraktar TB2, TB3, and Akıncı drones, which serve as communication relay nodes. Roketsan completed the package with the Barbaros coastal defense system, a highly mobile 8×8 wheeled battery capable of deploying anti-ship missiles such as the Atmaca or cruise missiles like the Çakir to protect Azerbaijan’s Caspian Sea coastline.

Strategic Diversification in Regional Defense Procurement

The 500 million dollar package reflects Baku’s ongoing strategy to diversify its military suppliers and integrate advanced multi-domain capabilities. Rather than depending on a single source or platform, Azerbaijan continues to mesh Turkish systems with platforms like Pakistan’s JF-17 Block III fighters, upgraded Su-25 attack jets, and a close relationship with Israel in areas such as unmanned vehicles, sensors, and air defense.

As these systems are delivered and integrated into active service across air, land, and maritime domains, regional observers note that the depth of the Turkey-Azerbaijan defense relationship has moved past simple equipment transfers into joint production, shared tactical doctrines, and synchronized operational readiness.