On July 8, 2021, the "Opening Ceremony of the A400M FASBAT Aircraft Maintenance Center, Delivery of the First Retrofitted A400M Aircraft, and Strategic Cooperation Agreement Certificate Ceremony" was held at the "12th Air Transport Main Base Command, 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate FASBAT Facilities" in Kayseri.
The ceremony included the opening of an aircraft maintenance center that will provide retrofitting and factory-level maintenance and repair services, the delivery of the first of the retrofitted A400M aircraft, described as a "Next Generation Strategic Transport Aircraft," and the presentation of Strategic Cooperation Agreement (SCA) certificates to company representatives authorized by the General Directorate of Military Factories within the framework of the SCA.
Within the scope of the contract signed between the Ministry of National Defense (MSB) and ASFAT on February 10, 2020; in line with the cooperation with AIRBUS Defence & Space, one of the leading brands in the aviation field in the world, ASFAT, as the main contractor, completed the first stage of the business model studies and the projects were put into service with the ceremony held yesterday.
The newly opened center consists of a hangar building for the repair and maintenance of A400M aircraft, a building where non-destructive testing methods are used to avoid damaging aircraft materials and components, a heating center building, a transformer building, a fire extinguishing depot designed to ensure fire protection for all buildings, an 8,000 square meter aircraft parking area, and a connecting taxiway.
Thanks to the agreement signed between ASFAT and AIRBUS Defence & Space, the Kayseri 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate, which is the first and only retrofit center in the world outside of AIRBUS D&S facilities, also boasts the distinction of being the fastest and most efficient center capable of performing this operation. With this center, Turkey will be able to provide retrofit services to the whole world and export its maintenance and repair capabilities along with retrofit. This collaboration between ASFAT and AIRBUS, which will make a significant contribution to the Turkish economy, is planned to expand in the coming years.
The A400M FASBAT hangar, once commissioned, is also planned to perform retrofit operations on the other 8 A400M aircraft belonging to the Air Force Command, as well as on aircraft from other countries that own A400Ms. In the coming years, within the scope of the project carried out jointly with AIRBUS D&S, the goal is to enable the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate, established in 1926, to perform depot-level maintenance and repair of A400M aircraft belonging to the Ministry of National Defence, and to export these capabilities.
A new initiative was launched to reduce the Turkish Armed Forces' technological dependence on foreign countries; to ensure procurement from suppliers that meet quality, technical competence, delivery performance, and after-sales service requirements; and to include all goods and services procurement related to the maintenance, repair, and production tasks of factories and shipyards. Through this initiative, Strategic Cooperation Agreements were signed with the aim of supporting national and domestically produced companies deemed technologically and otherly competent, and meeting the needs of the Turkish Armed Forces in the long term.
Additionally, at the ceremony, certificates were presented to 10 companies as a result of the Strategic Cooperation Agreements signed by the General Directorate of Military Factories within the scope of localization and nationalization activities.
Within this scope, certificates were presented to our OSSA members: ASPİLSAN ENERJİ SAN. VE TİC. A.Ş., DİJİTAL GÜÇ İŞLEM TEST SİST. ELEK. TEL. MED. SAN. TİC. LTD. ŞTİ., EMA SİSTEM YANGIN GÜV. SİS. MÜH. VE DIŞ TİC. A.Ş., TELEMAR SAVUNMA ELEKT. ELK. İNŞ. MAK. DAN. SAN. VE TİC. LTD. ŞTİ., VOLO KOMPOZİT VE MÜHENDİSLİK LTD. ŞTİ., YTY METAL SANAYİ DIŞ TİCARET A.Ş.
The ceremony was attended online by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar, the Chief of General Staff, the Commanders of the Armed Forces, Deputy Minister of National Defence Muhsin Dere, Ministry of National Defence officials, the AIRBUS team, protocol members, and company officials.
