BMC, one of Turkey's leading defense contractors, has set course for Europe as part of its export operations.
It was the only Turkish land vehicle manufacturer in the Defense News Top 100 list this year, coming in at 85th place. The company is monitoring potential cooperation opportunities in Latvia, as part of its global expansion plans.
BMC is getting prepared for tender bids to meet the Latvian Armed Forces' short, medium and long-term requirements. It recently organized an industrial cooperation day in the Latvian capital Riga, with the participation of the country's defense and automotive companies. At the event, BMC met with companies operating in Latvia to discuss long-term cooperation models.
It currently offers special solutions to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) as well as friendly and allied countries. Its broad product portfolio consists of the Altay Main Battle Tank as well as a series of armored and wheeled tactical vehicles.
The Turkish defense contractor aims to further improve its products and take it to new markets using the competence, capabilities and solutions of Latvian defense and automotive companies, who have more than 50 years' experience in defense and automotive sectors.
Latvia's leading defense and automotive companies stood out at the industrial cooperation day, organized under the coordination of the Federation of Defense and Security Industries Latvia (FSDI), the organization responsible for the international representation of Latvian defense industry companies.
More than 30 companies, including maintenance centers, system/subsystem manufacturers and development centers participated in the industrial cooperation day. The event evaluated a wide agenda, from technology transfer, technical support, and maintenance to training, as well as after-sales parts, service support and final assembly.
The event also discussed opportunities for cooperation in armored vehicle tenders, expected to be opened soon. The BMC laid out the details of its regional vision and contribution to the Latvian defense and automotive industry, in line with this vision and sustainable long-term cooperation was explained.
It also discussed the production of land vehicles, developed and produced in line with BMC's facilities and capabilities, with the participation of Latvian defense companies, how it would increase employment and make Latvia a hub for BMC land vehicles production.
Latvia recently launched a tender for approximately 450 armored vehicles, contacting manufacturers across the world in this regard. While the tender is expected to be finalized in early 2021, new tenders are planned to be announced in the category of tracked vehicles. According to sources at the company, BMC is the only Turkish firm and one of the few manufacturers in the world that can offer solution packages for both tenders.