A contract has been signed between Turkey and Bangladesh under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency of Defence Industry and the Armed Forces Division of the Prime Minister’s Office of Bangladesh as a result of the interstate agreement or G2G.
Under this agreement, 105 and 155 mm gun shell body and supporting production lines will be installed by REPKON at the Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF).
Ugur Cem Gürpınar, Head of Business Development and Corporate Communications at REPKON, confirms the news earlier last week. He stated Bangladesh selected the Turkish company because of its advanced technology in production, which is ahead of its competitors from around the world.
REPKON is providing the BOF with flow forming plant, shear forming plant, hot spinning lathe and hydraulic press technologies that would be used to manufacture the shell bodies of large calibre artillery shells, naval artillery shells and anti-aircraft gun cartridges which are used by the Bangladesh Army and Navy.
These technologies will put the Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF) in the group of a few countries in the world capable of producing advanced metallurgy components ensuring the Bangladesh Armed Forces step forward to a path of self-sufficiency in production of advanced munitions.
Bangladesh has a strategic agreement with Turkey dating back to the 1980s. In recent times under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan the two countries stepped up defence cooperation with Turkey being a notable backer of Bangladesh in relation to the Rohingya influx from Myanmar.
The Bangladesh government sees Turkey as an important partner in its strategic and defence equipment diversification and one that can readily provide NATO standard equipment at reasonable prices.
Bangladesh Army recently took delivery for Tiger missile systems from Roketsan and the air force is also expected to receive significant batches of precision guided munition kits from the Turkish defence giant for use with its F-7BG fighters. Turkey is interested to supply both 105 and 155mm artillery systems to the Bangladesh Army. This latest deal will create further scope for Turkish defence equipment manufacturers to attain lucrative contracts from the Bangladesh Army, which is seeking to purchase airmobile artillery systems for rapid deployment.
Core manufacturing capabilities to be obtained by the Bangladesh Ordnance Factories from REPKON:
- 25 to 40 mm medium range steel cartridges.
- 76 to 155 mm brass and steel shells.
- Warhead/projectile production lines for artillery, mortar, anti-aircraft gun and naval gun.
- Cartridge case production machines.
- Gun barrel production machines.
- Anti-tank ammunition production machines.
- Medium & long range missile body production machines.
- Explosive filling ex-proof presses and lines.
